How to Watch simpli outside Austria: VPN Guide 2026
What used to be the Austrian DVB-T2 service simpliTV turned into a streaming-first brand called simpli in autumn 2025. It is run by ORS, owned 60 percent by public broadcaster ORF and 40 percent by Medicur, and now bundles live Austrian channels with themed worlds like Crime and Motorsport, an RTL+ Premium add-on and a Sky Sport tier with football, Formula 1 and tennis. Watching simpli in the US straight from a stateside connection fails, because the live channels are licensed for Austria only and the platform spots every foreign IP.
The fix is a server inside Austria via ExpressVPN: the home interface loads and the whole simpli catalog behaves as if you were in Vienna. The free simpliFREE tier carries around 30 channels, and above it sit three paid packages: entry-level simpliBASIC with about 60 channels, the mid simpliMORE, and the top simpliPREMIUM with the RTL+ Premium streaming library. You pay for any paid plan yourself; the VPN simply puts your location back in Austria.
Is simpli available outside Austria?
Best VPN for simpli
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | simpli | 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 6 | Open |
Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 3 | Open |
CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ✓ Works | July 3 | Open |
IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Open |
ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ✓ Works | July 3 | Open |
How to Unblock simpli with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNGo with ExpressVPN, which runs on laptops, phones and Smart TVs alike. Pricing starts at $2.79 per month, and the same network opens other Austrian sites too.An annual plan undercuts the monthly rate and also covers other Austrian services you might want.
- Connect to a server in AustriaOpen the ExpressVPN app, choose an Austrian location and wait for the handshake. Your IP shifts to a Vienna one and simpli treats you as a local viewer.
- Open simpliLoad simpli.at in a browser or the simpli app, sign in, or create a free account if you are new. Browse the simpliFREE, simpliBASIC, simpliMORE and simpliPREMIUM bundles.
- Start streamingPick a live channel on simpli or an on-demand title and watch in up to 1080p. If the picture stutters, switch through ExpressVPN to a different Austrian server.
Which countries is simpli available in?
simpli 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
simpli 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.
How Much Does simpli Cost?
simpliFREE
- With ads
- No offline downloads
simpliBASIC
- Up to 1080p
- 1 simultaneous stream
- With ads
- No offline downloads
simpliMORE
- Up to 1080p
- 2 simultaneous streams
- With ads
- No offline downloads
simpliPREMIUM
- Up to 1080p
- 2 simultaneous streams
- With ads
- No offline downloads
Who’s behind the service?
What is simpli
simpli is an Austrian television service operated by ORS, the broadcast arm of public broadcaster ORF. It bundles three ways to watch: antenna reception over DVB-T2, satellite and live streaming through the web and apps. Launched in 2013 as simpliTV, it was renamed simpli in October 2025 to put the streaming side front and centre. A genuinely free tier carries dozens of channels, most of them in HD, alongside paid plans that widen the lineup and add seven-day catch-up, the option to restart or pause live TV, and cloud recording. You can watch on the web, on iOS and Android, on Samsung and LG smart TVs, Apple TV and Fire TV. Picture quality tops out at HD and Full HD, with no 4K. The channels are licensed for Austria; EU rules let subscribers keep watching while travelling inside the Union, but from elsewhere you need a VPN connected to an Austrian server.

Company and history
- simpliTV launches as an Austrian DVB-T2 platform run by ORS. The terrestrial service brings viewers more HD channels and gradually replaces the older DVB-T standard across the country.
- ORS announces an internet offering for simpliTV, turning the antenna brand into a hybrid service. The move lays the groundwork for the later shift toward full streaming through the web and apps.
- During Eurovision 2025 the app combined the ORF1 stream with FM4 radio's alternative commentary in one place. Viewers could switch smoothly between the classic and the irreverent feed across the whole contest.
- On 15 October 2025 simpliTV rebrands to simpli, with a streaming focus, a new logo and themed worlds for Crime and Motorsport. EU portability lets existing Austrian subscribers keep watching the live channels on temporary trips inside the EU.
- The service kicks off a market offensive with revamped bundles and partnerships: the RTL+ Premium add-on brings the RTL+ streaming library of films and series, while Sky Sport adds football, Formula 1 and tennis without a separate Sky account.
- In June 2026 simpli promotes that its free simpliFREE tier streams all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 live and free in HD via the Austrian channels ORF 1 and ServusTV.
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Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our simpli testing team · Updated June 18, 2026
- Try simpliFREE first: 30 channels including ORF, ServusTV, ATV and Puls 4 at no cost, with only a quick registration needed.
- Restart and the 7-day catch-up only kick in from simpliMORE, so skip BASIC if you ever miss live broadcasts.
- Need a second screen? simpliMORE allows two simultaneous streams against just one on BASIC, sparing you a duplicate account.
- Watching abroad? Live channels are locked to Austria, so connect through ExpressVPN on an Austrian server before opening the app.
- simpliPREMIUM bundles RTL+ Premium but ties you to a 12-month term and rises to 17.99 euro after the first year, so budget accordingly.
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to simpli.
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