Content & Catalog
What to watch on STVR?
Content TypesMovies · Series · Live TV · Live Sport · Documentaries · Kids · News · Originals
SubtitlesSlovak
DubbingSlovak
Top titles right now
Správy STVRDuelTeleráno
Public BroadcasterWorks with VPNUpdated June 9, 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 STVR outside Slovakia: VPN Guide 2026
If you have moved away or are simply travelling, you may have noticed that the channels you grew up with suddenly refuse to load. STVR is the free public broadcaster Slovak Television and Radio, and its live streams and online archive at stvr.sk are reserved for people inside the country. Open STVR from a foreign connection and you hit a regional wall, even though there is nothing to pay. The home-grown programmes and news on STVR are usually watchable, while sport and licensed shows carry tighter geo and replay rules.
A VPN is the honest fix here. By routing your traffic through a server in Slovakia, a service such as NordVPN makes STVR treat you as a local viewer again. It does not buy you anything, because the STVR catalogue was always free; it only restores your location. Skip free VPNs, which are slow and leak data, and remember the audio and subtitles on STVR are Slovak only.
Free
Price
1
Country
1080p
Max quality
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VPNs work
2-3 min
Ready in
Quick answer
Can I open STVR from outside Slovakia?
Not directly. STVR is the free Slovak public broadcaster and its live channels and online archive are limited to viewers inside Slovakia. A trusted tool like NordVPN connects you to a server in the country, so STVR sees a local address and lets you in. STVR itself stays free, and audio plus subtitles are in Slovak, so a VPN restores access without ever charging you.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for STVR
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | STVR | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 NordVPNBEST | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | August 23 | Try it |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | August 23 | Open |
 ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 22 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 21 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | August 24 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | August 20 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | August 20 | Open |
✓ WorksTested August 23
✓ WorksTested August 23
✓ WorksTested August 22
✓ WorksTested August 21
~ PartialTested August 24
~ PartialTested August 20
~ PartialTested August 20
Tested on August 24, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 4 working · residential IP from Slovakia · STVR 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 STVR with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Get a premium VPNSign up for a verified provider such as NordVPN and download the software onto your streaming device.Stick to premium providers because free services usually lack fast servers in Slovakia.
- Select a Slovak serverLaunch the application, search the interactive map for Slovakia, and hit connect to change your virtual location.Keep the app running in the background to maintain a stable connection throughout your stream.
- Load the streaming platformOpen your browser or mobile app and navigate directly to the official STVR web catalog.Using an incognito window prevents old location cookies from interfering with the site.
- Enjoy your favorite showPick live broadcasting or browse historical documentaries. The media player starts loading the video in 1080p automatically.
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Availability
Which countries is STVR available in?
STVR streams in full in Slovakia, and part of its catalogue plays in 190 more countries. For the titles that stay locked, use a premium VPN.
Available in 1 country No VPN needed
Partially available in 190 countries VPN required
United StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaNew ZealandIrelandGermanyFranceJapanIndiaNetherlandsSouth Africa
Show all 178 more countries
BrazilAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCongo (DRC)Costa RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelItalyJamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUAEUgandaUkraineUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabwe
STVR also works in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand, plus in 185 more countries, but with limited content compared to fully available countries. NordVPN unlocks full access.
Blocked in 3 countries VPN required
STVR is blocked in the British Virgin Islands, in North Korea and in Syria. To access it, use a premium VPN like NordVPN.
Available
Partial
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: July 13, 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.
About the platform
Who’s behind the service?
What is STVR
STVR (Slovenská televízia a rozhlas) is Slovakia’s public-service broadcaster, created in July 2024 through the renaming and restructuring of the former RTVS. The stvr.sk streaming platform gathers all the organisation’s television channels (Jednotka, Dvojka, Trojka) and its radio stations, alongside news bulletins, Slovak drama, documentaries, children’s programming and live sports coverage. Streaming is free and funded from public budgets, with licensing limits applying outside Slovakia.
Company and history
Previously known as
RTVS
Major changes
- Following legislative changes in Slovakia, the new public broadcaster STVR officially launched, subsuming all previous RTVS digital assets. This structural overhaul initiated the immediate migration of the broadcaster's web architecture and on-demand streaming systems.
- The broadcaster finalized the comprehensive rebranding of its digital video archive and smart TV applications. This transition removed legacy RTVS branding, delivering unified user interfaces alongside a much-needed upgrade to stable 1080p stream profiles.
- Digital traffic hit record highs during the exclusive live stream of the Pečie celé Slovensko finale. Infrastructure upgrades managed the surge, ensuring flawless delivery to over 150,000 concurrent viewers during peak evening hours.
- Management greenlit significant budget allocations to digitize legacy archival content and secured exclusive streaming rights for the drama Čas nádejí. The programming decision represents a direct attempt to challenge dominant regional commercial platforms.
- A severe infrastructure outage during the World Hockey Championship broadcasts drew widespread public criticism. Technicians rushed to deploy secondary CDN nodes to restore the live feeds after immense traffic spikes crashed the primary streaming servers.
- The autumn digital rollout introduced tailored content recommendation algorithms alongside a completely redesigned children's portal. This UX overhaul focused heavily on data privacy standards while improving discoverability for educational public programming.
- The director general announced a partnership extending application support into modern connected automotive infotainment systems. The development signals a broader pivot toward multi-device availability, ensuring public media access well beyond traditional home screens.
Still can’t open STVR where you are?
Connect NordVPN, pick a supported country, and you’re streaming STVR in minutes, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
1080pHDRDolby VisionDolby AtmosSmart DNS
UX features
Continue watchingParental controls
Accessibility
Audio descriptionClosed captionsSign language
Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
3 tips from our STVR testing team · Updated July 13, 2026
- Use a Slovak VPN server to unlock the full archive which is often geo-blocked outside Slovakia.
- Check the 'Archív' section for recently aired movies that stay online for only 7-14 days.
- On Smart TVs, use the HbbTV red button feature for the fastest access to the library.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
STVR Dvojka
Public Broadcaster
Open
STVR :24
Public Broadcaster
Open
STVR :Šport
Public Broadcaster
Open
STVR Jednotka
Public Broadcaster
Open
TV Prima SK
Broadcast VOD
Open
France 24
Public Broadcaster
Open
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before you start watching STVR.
No. STVR is funded as a public broadcaster, so the live channels and the online archive are completely free with no subscription and no card details required. A VPN does not change that. It simply restores your Slovak location so STVR loads. Be wary of any tool that claims to charge for access, because the content itself never carries a fee.
On STVR you can follow the live channels Jednotka, Dvojka, the rolling news channel :24 and the sport channel :Šport, plus the online archive of past programmes. Home-grown shows and news are broadly available, while sport and licensed third-party titles come with tighter geo and replay limits, so a few items may stay locked even after you connect from inside the country.
Broadcasting and licensing deals tie distribution to Slovak territory, so STVR checks your IP address and turns away foreign connections. The block is about location, not money, because the service is free. Connecting through a server in the country gives you a local address again, which is why a VPN restores access to STVR instead of unlocking some hidden paid tier.
It is the brand of Slovenská televízia a rozhlas, meaning Slovak Television and Radio. The organisation was previously known as RTVS and was renamed STVR under a new law that took effect on 1 July 2024. The streaming side of STVR covers the public television channels and the online archive, all offered free to viewers based in Slovakia.
Generally no. The STVR catalogue is made for a domestic audience, so audio and subtitles are in Slovak. There is no broad English dubbing or subtitle layer, which is worth knowing if your Slovak is rusty. A VPN restores your access to STVR, but it cannot add a language track, so expect to watch and listen in Slovak throughout.
For now the reliable way to watch STVR is the website at stvr.sk in a browser, which works on laptops, phones and many smart TVs. A separate streaming app has been announced but is not yet live, so do not rely on it. Open the site through a server inside the country and the live channels and archive load just as they would at home.
Not on television. STVR carries the IIHF ice-hockey World Championship on radio only, while the TV rights sit with another broadcaster. You can still enjoy plenty of other sport on the :Šport channel of STVR, subject to the usual geo limits. A VPN helps you reach what STVR genuinely offers, but it cannot conjure up coverage that was never licensed.
It is a poor idea. Free VPNs are typically slow, cap your data and often sell browsing records, which makes smooth live streaming difficult and risks your privacy. Since STVR itself costs nothing, the only thing you need is a dependable connection to a Slovak server. A reputable paid provider delivers the steady speeds that buffer-free playback on STVR requires.
Ready to watch STVR without borders?
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Part of the Slovenská televízia a rozhlas family.
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