How to Watch PULS 4 outside Austria: VPN Guide 2026
The scrappy Vienna city channel called PULS TV launched in 2004, took its current name when it became PULS 4 in 2008, and is now the second most-watched private network in Austria. You can stream PULS 4 free on the Austrian version of Joyn, where it mixes homegrown reality, its own newsroom tied to the PULS 24 channel and live sport into a lineup that any viewer in the country can pull up on a phone, on the web or on a smart TV without paying a cent or signing a monthly contract.
The catch is licensing. Cross the border and the PULS 4 stream hits a geo-block, because the rights to this content only clear inside Austria. If you want to keep up with your favorite shows from a hotel room or a work trip, ExpressVPN is the simple fix: connect to a server in Vienna or Linz, pick up an Austrian IP, and the picture loads in crisp 720p exactly like it does back home.
Is PULS 4 available outside Austria?
Best VPN for PULS 4
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | PULS 4 | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ExpressVPNBEST | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Try it |
NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Open |
Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Open |
Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 6 | Open |
CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | July 6 | Open |
IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | July 4 | Open |
ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | July 5 | Open |
How to Unblock PULS 4 with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNGo with ExpressVPN, which keeps fast servers inside Austria. At $2.79 a month it pays for itself the first time you want your home channels on the road.Grab the annual plan; it works out cheaper than paying month to month.
- Connect to an Austrian serverIn the app choose a server in Vienna or Linz. That hands you an Austrian IP, so the network treats you as a viewer at home.
- Open Joyn or the channel siteLaunch the Joyn app or the broadcaster page, sign up for free, and pick a show from the live feed or the archive.
- Start playback in 720pThe stream comes up in 720p without stutter. If it lags, switch to a closer Austrian server and give Joyn a moment to settle.
Which countries is PULS 4 available in?
PULS 4 is only available in Austria. To access it from anywhere else, use a premium VPN.
Available in 1 country No VPN needed
Blocked in 193 countries VPN required
Show all 181 more countries
PULS 4 is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand, plus in 188 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
Who’s behind the service?
What is PULS 4
PULS 4 is Austria’s free-to-air commercial entertainment channel, funded by advertising and run by the ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 group in Vienna. It took its current name in 2008, having grown out of the earlier Puls TV. The schedule mixes drama, films, reality, news and documentaries, with familiar titles such as the startup show 2 Minuten 2 Millionen, the breakfast programme Cafe Puls and the political debate Pro und Contra. From the 2027/28 season it holds the Austrian free-TV rights to the UEFA Champions League final and the UEFA Super Cup. You watch the live stream through the Joyn platform on the web, mobile, Apple TV, Fire TV and smart TVs, in roughly HD. The stream is limited to Austria and Joyn does not officially support VPNs, so from abroad you need a VPN with an Austrian server to set your virtual location. The channel itself stays free.

Company and history
- A local Vienna city channel, PULS TV, went on air, the forerunner of today's network, initially airing mostly regional news and programs aimed at the capital.
- The ProSiebenSat.1 media group took the station over outright and began turning it from a city outlet into a nationwide private channel with a bigger budget and reach.
- With the launch of a nightly newscast the channel relaunched under its current name, effectively becoming Austria's fourth nationwide terrestrial network.
- The group launched the news channel PULS 24, which has since fed live news and debates into the shared lineup and later into the Joyn stream as well.
- Austria's streaming platform ZAPPN moved under the Joyn brand, turning it into the main free window through which viewers watch the channel's live feed and archive.
- The group rolled out a sports summer on Joyn and on air with US Open tennis, German Bundesliga and the ELF, strengthening live sport in its free lineup.
- Joyn reported record viewing and the ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 group confirmed in its autumn figures its standing as the leading private TV family in the country.
- The channel secured free-to-air rights to the Champions League final and the UEFA Super Cup for four seasons from 2027/28, keeping the football season's climax free in Austria.
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Supported devices
Video quality
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Accessibility
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our PULS 4 testing team · Updated June 22, 2026
- PULS 4 has no standalone app: its live channel and catch-up run free only through Joyn, so look for it under Joyn's live TV section, not the App Store.
- The free tier streams in roughly HD, not 4K, so don't expect ultra sharp picture even on a large Smart TV.
- Upgrade to Joyn+ for fewer ads, more HD titles and offline downloads of up to 10 shows that stay watchable for 30 days.
- Joyn's Austrian stream is geo-blocked outside Austria, so from abroad connect ExpressVPN to an Austrian server before opening PULS 4.
- Catch up on Austrian formats like 2 Minuten 2 Millionen and the Cafe Puls breakfast show in Joyn's PULS 4 media library after they air.
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to PULS 4.
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