SAT.1 traces its roots to 1984, when PKS launched as the country’s first private broadcaster, and the channel took its current name a year later. Its morning show Frühstücksfernsehen, the singing contest The Voice of Germany and reality juggernaut Promi Big Brother all land in the Joyn library minutes after they air. Watching SAT.1 outside Germany sounds simple, then the trouble starts.
The free Joyn tier only streams to viewers with a German IP address, because ProSiebenSat.1 licenses its content for the home market. Once you are outside Germany, the player throws a “Did you go abroad?” notice instead of the show. A reliable VPN such as Surfshark fixes that: connect to a server in Germany, reload Joyn or sat1.de, and the live feed plus the on-demand archive open back up in up to 1080p. A paid Joyn Plus+ plan travels within the EU under portability rules, but a free account watched from outside Germany still needs that German IP.
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | SAT.1 | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SurfsharkBEST | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Try it |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | July 6 | Open |
 ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | July 3 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | July 2 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | July 6 | Open |
✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works~ Partial~ Partial~ PartialTakes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
SAT.1 is only available in Germany. To access it from anywhere else, use a premium VPN.
SAT.1 also works in Austria, in Liechtenstein, in Luxembourg and in Switzerland, but with limited content compared to fully available countries. Surfshark unlocks full access.
SAT.1 is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand, plus in 184 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
SAT.1 is a national German commercial broadcaster that made history when it launched on 1 January 1984 as PKS, becoming the country’s first privately owned television station. It sits within ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, which has been majority-controlled by Italy’s MFE-MediaForEurope, the Berlusconi family’s group, since September 2025. The channel courts an older, family-minded audience with its Frühstücksfernsehen breakfast show, crime dramas such as Der letzte Bulle and homegrown entertainment. Live and catch-up streaming is free via sat1.de and Joyn.
5 tips from our SAT.1 testing team · Updated June 24, 2026
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Everything you need to know before subscribing to SAT.1.
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Part of the Seven.One Entertainment Group (ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE) family.
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