Subscription VODWorks with VPNUpdated June 8, 2026
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How to Watch Crave outside Canada: VPN Guide 2026
The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Succession and homegrown comedy Letterkenny all live under a single subscription here. Watching Crave outside Canada runs into a firm wall, though: Bell Media licenses this service for Canada only, so the moment your connection lands outside the country the player throws a not-available notice. The reason is rights to HBO, HBO Max, Showtime and Starz that Bell holds exclusively for Canadian viewers.
The fix is Surfshark. Connect to a Canadian server, pick up a local IP address, and Crave treats you as a home subscriber again. It works while you travel and for Canadians abroad who still want their HBO shows. The November 2025 relaunch piled on live CTV and Noovo channels plus a free ad-supported layer, so there is more to watch than ever. The premium tier streams select titles in 4K and supports up to four simultaneous streams.
11,000+
Total titles
1
Country
4K
Max quality
3 of 7
VPNs work
4+ min
Ready in
Quick answer
Can you watch Crave outside Canada?
Not directly. Bell Media geo-blocks the catalogue to Canada, and that holds even for an account you opened before leaving. A Surfshark with a Canadian server is the reliable route: it masks your location, hands you a local IP, and the HBO and Crave Originals library opens right up. Servers in Vancouver or Toronto usually give the lowest latency and steady 4K. Smart DNS works too, but a VPN is the safer bet.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for Crave
Crave actively blocks VPNs. Only certain providers reliably bypass the detection.
Tested on July 6, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 3 working · residential IP from Canada · Crave updates detection continuously, results may change.
⚠️
Streaming service blocking your VPN? Just disconnect and hop onto a different server in the same country. Stick to the ones labeled “streaming” or “optimized” because they’re literally built for this.
How-to
How to Unblock Crave with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
1
Pick a reliable VPN
Go with Surfshark — it runs fast Canadian servers and beats the Bell Media geo-block. Expect around $1.78 on a longer plan.
An annual plan costs far less per month than a rolling one and is plenty for streaming.
2
Connect to a Canadian server
Choose a location in Vancouver or Toronto. That gives you a Canadian IP, which Crave reads as domestic and lets you into the catalogue.
3
Sign in to Crave
Open the website or the app and enter your credentials. If you are creating an account, note that signup needs a Canadian payment method, most often a gift card.
4
Start streaming
Pick a show or film and watch in 4K. If playback stutters, switch to another Canadian server or restart the VPN.
Ready to watch Crave without borders?
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This overall 1-10 score combines value, reliability, and VPN compatibility into one editorial verdict. Higher = better overall experience.
7.0
Value
This 1-10 score rates the value for money: content and features vs. price. Higher = better deal. 10 = outstanding offer. 5 = market average.
9.0
Reliability
This 1-10 score rates the reliability of streams, apps, and the service overall: higher = fewer technical issues. 10 = no outages. 5 = occasional minor glitches.
6.0
Works with VPN
This 1-10 score shows how easily the platform unblocks with a VPN: higher is better. 10 = works with any service. 5 = you’ll need a premium VPN from the table above.
Availability
Which countries is Crave available in?
Crave is only available in Canada. To access it from anywhere else, use a premium VPN.
Crave is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in New Zealand and in Ireland, plus in 188 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
Available
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: June 22, 2026
⚠️
Steer clear of free VPNs. Most of them actually collect and sell your data, lack proper security audits, and can even expose you to malware. They’re also useless for streaming. Platforms block them instantly, leaving you with more headaches than solutions. Stick to paid VPNs with verified audits, like Surfshark, if you want something that actually works.
Crave is Bell Media’s Canadian streaming service, launched in 2014. It bundles HBO and Max content, Showtime, and Crave Originals alongside Hollywood films, all in one library available only in Canada (across 1 markets in our coverage). Since late 2025 it offers two tiers: Standard with Ads and an ad-free Premium plan with 4K and household streaming. Starz is sold as a separate add-on.
The Crave start page, where the browsing begins.
Company and history
Previously known as
CraveTV
Major changes
Bell Media launched the streaming service CraveTV as an add-on for cable TV subscribers, debuting with a back-catalogue of series at roughly four dollars a month.
CraveTV opened up as a standalone over-the-top service that anyone could subscribe to without a cable package, priced around eight dollars a month.
Bell merged CraveTV with The Movie Network and rebranded the service as Crave, introducing a premium tier that added first-run HBO programming for Canada.
Crave expanded into the French-language market, adding roughly five thousand hours of French content from Bell sister channels and becoming a bilingual service.
Bell struck a new licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that secured Crave long-term access to HBO programming and the newly rebranded Max service for Canadian viewers.
The Warner Bros. Discovery agreement was renewed and expanded, keeping Crave exclusive rights to hits like The Last of Us along with HBO’s deep back-catalogue.
Bell announced a major Crave overhaul for later that year: a free ad-supported tier and a thirty percent content boost by folding in the CTV and Noovo libraries.
Crave rolled out its expanded version with a new interface, a free account tier and live CTV and Noovo channels, adding over ten thousand hours of shows and sports.
Trust signals
App Store
4.6 / 5
Google Play
2.6 / 5
Content & Catalog
What to watch on Crave?
11,000+
Total titles
~50
New titles/month
20
Max offline downloads
Content TypesMovies · Series · Live TV · Anime · Documentaries · Kids · Originals · Offline
SubtitlesEnglish · French
DubbingEnglish · French
Payment methodsCredit card · Debit card · Apple Pay · Gift card
Offline downloadsUp to 1080p offline · Download expires after 30 days
The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
House of the Dragon
★ 8.42022
#2TV
The matchmaking begins as a group of single "Islanders" come together in a stunning villa on a beautiful tropical island, ready to embark on a summer of dating, romance, and ultimately, relationships. Every few days the Islanders pair up and those who are not coupled are at risk of being dumped from the island. Islanders are on the lookout for romance, but the road to love doesn't always run smoothly.
Love Island USA
★ 7.12019
#3TV
An improvised, comedic approach to major events in American history in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An almost History of America
★ 4.72026
#4
Examines the legacy, cultural impact, and body of work of American R&B/funk/jazz/soul/disco band Earth, Wind & Fire, and will feature exclusive access to the band’s archives of visual, audio, and written material, as well as the support of the estate of Maurice White and the band.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World)
★ 3.72026
#5TV
Follows the Eternal Values cult of the ’80s and ’90s, led by Manhattan socialite Frederick von Mierers.
Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult
★ 7.62026
#6
A blunt, grieving widow is forced to plan her husband’s funeral with a total stranger: her estranged gay son’s gay assistant. As they fumble through grief and their strange, darkly funny circumstances, buried secrets and long-held resentments surface, but their partnership becomes an unlikely conduit for connection, laughter, and healing for this mother and her unexpected surrogate son.
Miss You, Love You
★ 6.52026
#7TV
Haunted by decades of failures, Gareth Southgate becomes England manager and uses psychology to confront fear and pursue victory.
Dear England
★ 5.82026
#8
In his first HBO comedy special, comedian Josh Johnson debuts original material about our shared experiences as humans, tackling topics like family, religion, and relationships through his unique point of view and signature creativity.
Josh Johnson: Symphony
★ 7.32026
#9TV
When Niall's estranged 'brother' Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults us back through their lives.
Half Man
★ 8.12026
#10TV
Lindy and Les, a married writer and scientist, are forced to re-evaluate the power balances in their relationship after a freak accident shrinks Lindy down to 6 inches tall.
The Miniature Wife
★ 7.42026
#11TV
Charting Michael Jackson’s journey from child prodigy to global icon, examining the genius, controversy, trials and tragedy that shaped and continue to divide his legacy.
Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy
★ 7.32026
#12
Featuring interviews from members of the casting, production design, costume design, and creature effects teams, follow the behind-the-scenes journey of bringing the Harry Potter books to the small screen. Find out how the new Golden Trio were found, and celebrate the commitment to detail of the artists, craftspeople, and technicians who have come together to bring the wizarding world to life.
When Netflix US drops a new series, she knows before the algorithm does. Tracks libraries on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, and regional platforms like Hulu and Peacock, logs geo-differences, and tests where a VPN actually unlocks access and where the promised unblock falls flat.
Streaming librariesGeo-unblock testingNetflix catalogsRegional platformsBBC iPlayer and HuluBroadcasting rights
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to Crave.
Usually not. Free VPNs run few Canadian servers and recycle shared IP addresses that Bell Media spots and blocks, and Crave is one of the harder services to bypass. A paid Surfshark with fresh IPs and streaming support is far more dependable. Free tiers also throttle data, so smooth 4K playback is off the table anyway.
Signup is the tricky part. Crave wants a Canadian payment method and often a Canadian address, so a typical foreign card gets rejected. People work around it with Crave gift cards bought from Canadian retailers. Once the account exists, a Surfshark on a Canadian server handles the actual playback from anywhere you happen to be.
Yes, quite a bit. In Canada, HBO and HBO Max stream exclusively through Crave, while abroad the same shows sit on other platforms like Sky or HBO Max directly. Some titles also land in Canada on a different schedule. That is why pairing a Surfshark with Crave makes sense when you specifically want the Canadian version of the catalogue.
Bell quietly dropped the cheapest Basic with Ads plan in autumn 2025. What remains is a lower-cost Crave ad-supported tier and a premium ad-free tier streaming in 4K. Since November 2025 there is also a free ad-supported layer that only needs a Canadian account. A Surfshark gets you to any paid plan from overseas.
Smart DNS does work for Crave and can feel faster because it skips encryption. The catch is it never hides your IP address or protects your privacy, and if Bell blocks the DNS server you lose access. Most people prefer a Surfshark that hands you a Canadian IP and encryption together, which is sturdier against Crave’s checks.
Crave reads your IP address and compares it against its allowed region. When it sees a foreign IP, playback stops. Sometimes a DNS leak or a stale IP slips through even on a VPN. Switching to another Canadian server on your Surfshark, clearing cookies and restarting the app usually fixes it. Vancouver and Toronto servers tend to work best.
Since the November 2025 relaunch, yes, if Canadian sports interest you. Through live CTV and Noovo channels, Crave now carries CFL games, the PGA Tour, Formula One and FIFA soccer. For a fan outside Canada, that is one more reason to fire up a Surfshark and watch the home broadcast as if you never left.
Possibly. Paramount Skydance is acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, and David Ellison has floated merging HBO Max with Paramount+. Bell says popular HBO content stays on Crave for the foreseeable future, but offers no firm timeline. If you want the Canadian catalogue now, keep a Surfshark ready rather than waiting on the outcome.
Ready to watch Crave without borders?
Surfshark unlocks Crave from anywhere in the world. Risk-free 30-day money-back.
#1TV
