Content & Catalog
What to watch on Sky Sport Now?
Content TypesLive TV · Live Sport · News
Sport StreamingWorks with VPNUpdated June 20, 2026
Reviewed by Anna Venclikova · Affiliate DisclosureOur website contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
How to Watch Sky Sport Now outside the US: VPN Guide 2026
When Sky Network Television rebadged its older Fan Pass app in August 2019, it gave New Zealand sport fans the streaming home they use today. Sky Sport Now is an Auckland-based live sport service that carries the All Blacks, Super Rugby Pacific, Australia’s NRL, Formula 1 and the English Premier League across twelve Sky Sport and ESPN channels. You pay by the day, month or year, with no long lock-in.
The catch is licensing. Sky holds the rights for New Zealand only, so the moment you load the app on a US connection you hit a geo-block. A tool like NordVPN hands you a New Zealand IP address and brings the picture back as if you were sitting in Auckland. Keep in mind that Sky actively blocks known VPN servers, so reliability swings and a quality provider pays off. Standard streams run at 1080p; since November 2025 Sky also carries selected matches in 4K UHD on Sky Sport 1 UHD for Premium Month Pass and Annual Pass holders, with no HDR yet.
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Quick answer
Can you watch Sky Sport Now outside the US?
Not directly, because the service only runs on New Zealand IP addresses. The fix is NordVPN with a fast New Zealand server that changes your location and loads the catalog. You still pay for your own pass. Sky does block VPN servers, though, so test a server before kickoff. Standard streams run at 1080p, with select matches in 4K on a Premium Month Pass or Annual Pass.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for Sky Sport Now
Sky Sport Now actively blocks VPNs. Only certain providers reliably bypass the detection.
| VPN Service | Price | Sky Sport Now | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 NordVPNBEST | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | July 6 | Try it |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | July 4 | Open |
 ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | July 5 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | July 3 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ~ Partial | July 3 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | July 6 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | July 2 | Open |
✓ WorksTested July 6
✓ WorksTested July 4
✓ WorksTested July 5
~ PartialTested July 3
~ PartialTested July 3
~ PartialTested July 6
~ PartialTested July 2
Tested on July 6, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 3 working · residential IP from New Zealand · Sky Sport Now 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 Sky Sport Now with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNGo with a proven service such as NordVPN that runs fast New Zealand servers. Pricing starts around $2.99 a month. Cheap free VPNs get spotted and blocked by Sky.Choose a provider with a money-back guarantee so you can test the connection risk-free.
- Connect to a New Zealand serverInstall the app and connect to a server in New Zealand. If the first one fails, switch cities, since Sky rotates through blocking parts of the IP ranges.
- Open Sky Sport NowHead to skysportnow.co.nz or the mobile app, create an account and choose a Day Pass, Month Pass or Annual Pass depending on how much sport you want.
- Start the streamPick a match and hit play. The picture runs up to 1080p; budget a steady 10 Mbps or so for smooth playback.
Ready to watch Sky Sport Now without borders?
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Availability
Which countries is Sky Sport Now available in?
Sky Sport Now is only available in New Zealand. To access it from anywhere else, use a premium VPN.
Available in 1 country No VPN needed
Blocked in 193 countries VPN required
United StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaIrelandGermanyFranceJapanIndiaNetherlandsSouth AfricaBrazil
Show all 181 more countries
AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana
British Virgin Islands
BruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCongo (DRC)Costa RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelItalyJamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUAEUgandaUkraineUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabweSky Sport Now is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in Ireland, plus in 188 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like NordVPN.
Available
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: June 21, 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 NordVPN, if you want something that actually works.
Pricing & Plans
How Much Does Sky Sport Now Cost?
Most Popular
Month Pass
$34.43
/month
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Premium Month Pass
$37.30
/month
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Annual Pass
$315.69
/year
Save 24%
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Ready to subscribe to Sky Sport Now?
Go to the official website: no VPN needed if you’re in a supported country.
About the platform
Who’s behind the service?
What is Sky Sport Now
Sky Sport Now is New Zealand’s live sport streaming service, run by Sky Network Television Ltd from its Auckland base. Launched in August 2019 as the successor to Fan Pass, it carries live sport only, no movies or series, across twelve Sky Sport channels plus ESPN, live and on demand. The line-up spans All Blacks and Super Rugby Pacific, NRL and State of Origin, cricket including ICC events, netball, Formula 1, the Premier League, A-League, NBA, golf and Supercars. Most streams run up to 1080p, with limited 4K on the Sky Sport 1 UHD channel for Premium and Annual pass holders and no HDR, on web, mobile, Apple TV, Chromecast and major smart TVs. It is a paid, pass-based service available only inside New Zealand.
Company and history
Previously known as
Fan Pass
Major changes
- Sky Network Television launched the online Fan Pass service, giving fans streamed access to Sky Sport channels one through four plus highlights available on demand.
- On 14 August 2019 the Fan Pass app was rebranded as Sky Sport Now. The relaunch added live streams of all twelve Sky Sport and ESPN channels, match statistics and points tables.
- Sky bought the struggling Three TV network and its ThreeNow streaming platform for a symbolic one dollar, gaining a powerful free-to-air lever for sports-rights negotiations.
- Sky locked in All Blacks, Black Ferns and Super Rugby rights through 2030 in a fresh deal with New Zealand Rugby, anchoring the content backbone of Sky Sport Now.
- Sky extended its Formula 1 contract through 2028. From the 2026 season it airs every practice, qualifying session and race live on Sky Sport and the Sky Sport Now app.
- Sky raised the monthly Sky Sport Now pass by about ten percent. The Month Pass climbed from 54.99 to 59.99 New Zealand dollars, while the one-off Day Pass and the Annual Pass stayed unchanged.
Trust signals
Still can’t open Sky Sport Now where you are?
Connect NordVPN, pick a supported country, and you’re streaming Sky Sport Now in minutes, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
1080pHDRDolby VisionDolby Atmos
UX features
Continue watching
Accessibility
Closed captions
Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our Sky Sport Now testing team · Updated June 21, 2026
- Pick the Annual Pass at NZD 549.99 over paying monthly (NZD 59.99): you save roughly 24 %, about NZD 170 a year.
- For a single match grab the one-off Day Pass at NZD 29.99: it lasts 24 hours and never auto-renews, so there's nothing to cancel.
- Standard passes top out at Full HD, so if you want 4K you'll need the Premium Month Pass (NZD 64.99) or the Annual Pass.
- It's locked to New Zealand and Sky actively blocks VPN servers, so when travelling use a reliable NordVPN with fresh NZ IPs.
- Sky often drops the Day Pass fee around big events, so make an account and turn on notifications to catch the free windows.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
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NBA League Pass
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Polsat Sport
Sport Streaming
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to Sky Sport Now.
It is a New Zealand streaming service from Auckland-based Sky Network Television. It carries the All Blacks, Super Rugby Pacific, Australia’s NRL, Formula 1, the Premier League, cricket and netball live across twelve Sky Sport and ESPN channels. It runs in a browser and mobile apps, and the lineup is pure live sport, no films or series. From the US you reach it only through NordVPN on a New Zealand server.
Sky offers three passes: a one-off 24-hour Day Pass, a monthly Month Pass and a yearly Annual Pass. The monthly tier rose by roughly ten percent in April 2026. Billing is in New Zealand dollars, and the pass follows you wherever you sign in. To play it outside New Zealand you also need NordVPN, which sits on its own separate bill, and US viewers should expect to pay for both.
Rugby is the backbone: the All Blacks, Black Ferns and Super Rugby Pacific. Add Australia’s NRL with State of Origin, cricket, ANZ Premiership netball, Formula 1, the English Premier League, the A-League, NBA and PGA and LPGA golf. Sky holds rugby rights through 2030 and Formula 1 through 2028. Stateside you would find a comparable sport mix on DAZN, just with different competitions.
It depends on the provider. Sky actively blocks known VPN servers, so not every service gets through and reliability swings. Lean on NordVPN with several New Zealand locations and test a server before kickoff. If the first IP fails, switch to another city. Free VPNs stand almost no chance here, since Sky spots and blocks them almost instantly during big fixtures.
It runs in a web player, in iOS and Android apps, on Apple TV, Android TV and through Chromecast. Smart TVs with the app installed work too. For a steady 1080p picture, budget around 10 Mbps. When watching through NordVPN, keep the VPN and the streaming app on the same device so your location does not split between them.
Not for playback, where a New Zealand IP through NordVPN is enough. Payment can be fussier, since Sky accepts certain cards; some foreign cards go through and others get declined. Try a standard payment card and remember billing runs in New Zealand dollars. The account and pass are tied to your email rather than the country of the card you use.
No, they are two separate services. This one runs in New Zealand only, belongs to New Zealand’s Sky Network Television, and carries different rights and prices. UK Sky Sports targets the United Kingdom and needs a different subscription. Do not confuse it with Sky Go or Sky Deutschland either. Outside New Zealand you reach this version only through NordVPN.
Yes, but only in a limited way. 4K UHD runs solely on the Sky Sport 1 UHD channel for selected broadcasts, and only for Premium Month Pass or Annual Pass holders on a 4K TV with HDCP 2.2. The standard Month Pass and Day Pass cap at 1080p, and HDR is not offered yet. For smooth 4K plan around 25 Mbps, with extra headroom through NordVPN.
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Part of the Sky Network Television family.
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