How to Watch Australia Channel from Anywhere: Expat Guide 2026
Australia Channel is the exception on this site. With most Australian services the question is how to get past a geographic wall, but here the wall faces the other way: the service was built in 2014 for Australians living overseas and it will not start inside Australia at all. The operator of Australia Channel states plainly that it is not available from within Australia or New Zealand, because at home the same content is sold through pay television. Behind it sits Australian News Channel, a house under News Corp Australia.
The offer is built on news. Its backbone is the channel that took the name News24 in July 2026 and previously aired as Sky News Australia, joined by live politics, opinion shows, business, weather and original documentaries. For anyone asking how to watch Australian television abroad, this is the straight answer with no detour: a legitimate subscription instead of a workaround. Below are the prices, the supported devices and the limits worth knowing first.
Who is Australia Channel actually for?
Best VPN for Australia Channel
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | Australia Channel | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SurfsharkBEST | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | August 23 | Try it |
ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 23 | Open |
NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | August 24 | Open |
ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ✓ Works | August 22 | Open |
Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 23 | Open |
CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ✓ Works | August 19 | Open |
IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ✓ Works | August 21 | Open |
How to Unblock Australia Channel with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Check that you are outside AustraliaThe service exists solely for viewers abroad. Neither sign-up nor playback will start on an Australian or New Zealand connection, so this really is step one rather than a formality.Inside Australia, use domestic pay television instead.
- Take out a subscriptionYou register directly with Australia Channel or in the app, choosing between monthly and annual billing, with the annual option markedly cheaper. There is no trial period and no free tier.
- Install the appYou can watch in a browser, on a phone or on a television. Apps exist for iOS, Android and Roku, so you need neither a set-top box nor an Australian address.
- Start watchingQuality follows the source and tops out at 1080p. The news channel runs around the clock, while documentaries and programmes sit on demand. On a weaker line, lower the resolution manually to keep the stream steady.Annual billing suits anyone staying abroad longer.
Which countries is Australia Channel available in?
Australia Channel works in 24 countries, including in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Canada, in Ireland and in Germany. In 170 more it is blocked, and outside available regions you will need a VPN.
Available in 24 countries No VPN needed
Show all 12 more countries
Australia Channel works without a VPN in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Canada, in Ireland, in Germany, in France and in Japan, plus in 17 more countries.
Blocked in 170 countries VPN required
Show all 158 more countries
Australia Channel is blocked in Australia, in New Zealand, in Afghanistan, in Albania and in Algeria, plus in 165 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
How Much Does Australia Channel Cost?
Monthly
- Up to 720p
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Annual
- Up to 720p
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Who’s behind the service?
What is Australia Channel
International streaming service for Australians abroad, run by Australian News Channel from the News Corp Australia group. Launched in 2014, it carries round-the-clock news from the News24 channel, previously on air as Sky News Australia, alongside live politics, opinion shows, business, weather, original documentaries and sport highlights. Paid subscription in monthly and annual forms. Deliberately unavailable from within Australia or New Zealand.

Company and history
- On 19 February 1996 Sky News Australia went on air as the country's first round-the-clock news channel. The operator behind it was Australian News Channel.
- In February 2015 News Corp Australia offered 25 million dollars for a majority stake in Australian News Channel. Shareholders rejected the bid in June, saying they wanted at least double.
- In December 2016 News Corp Australia went on to acquire the whole of Australian News Channel. The international streaming service thereby came under one owner with the rest of the news portfolio.
- In December 2017 News Corp and Telstra fell into a dispute over carriage fees for the news channel on Foxtel. The parties eventually reached agreement and the broadcast continued without interruption.
- On 27 July 2026 the news channel was renamed from Sky News Australia to News24. The change covered broadcast, digital products and the app through which the content reaches viewers overseas.
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
UX features
Accessibility
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our Australia Channel testing team · Updated August 2, 2026
- The geographic lock works in reverse here. You cannot sign in from Australia or New Zealand, but you can from the rest of the world, the exact opposite of a normal Australian service.
- Leave the VPN switched off. Where Surfshark on an Australian server is the way into other services, here an Australian address would cut you off from the player instead.
- Annual billing costs less than twelve monthly charges in a row. If you are staying abroad longer than half a year, the choice makes itself.
- There is no trial and no free tier, billing starts on day one. Do not expect the model of the big entertainment services, this is a news product.
- The channel has been called News24 since 27 July 2026, having aired as Sky News Australia before that. Older guides will still show the previous name.
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to Australia Channel.
Ready to watch Australia Channel without borders?
Surfshark unlocks Australia Channel from anywhere in the world. Risk-free 30-day money-back.
Part of the News Corp Australia / Sky News Australia family.
Try Surfshark