From relatively humble beginnings as a video rental-by-mail service, Netflix has grown into one of the most influential streaming services in the world. Since this transition, its annual revenue has grown from 1.36 billion to over 15.8 billion in just 10 years. The number of Netflix subscribers has followed a similar trend, growing from just over 21 million in 2011 to nearly 150 million in 2019. The service is becoming so popular that an estimated 37 percent of the world’s internet users use Netflix.
But as with most good things in life, there is a catch.
As Netflix continues to expand worldwide, content libraries offered by the streaming service have grown apart in size. Today, most Netflix users are well aware that Netflix libraries offer different content in different countries. As of 2020, there are now almost 200 different versions of Netflix.
This is mainly due to content-related laws, which require Netflix to pay for each region, where it wants the content to appear. Therefore, Netflix must ensure that the content is only available in those regions it has paid for.
Netflix itself has precious little say in the matter and has admitted it would rather just show everything everywhere; but as you can imagine, there are more than a few competitors who oppose this.
But what does all of this mean for the average consumer? In more simple words, if I wanted to watch the Star Wars movies currently available on the service, I would have to travel to the United States.
Or would I?
Listen to this: you can stream your favourite films from anywhere around the globe — without selling your zip-locked kidneys on Ebay.
There is, of course, a much easier (not to mention cheaper) way to go about it; using a VPN. Just read on, and you’ll be dancing around geo-blocks like a pro.
With the use of a VPN, there comes a lot of questions, misconceptions, rumours, and skepticism. If you’ve read any of our previous blogs (which I’m sure you have — good, aren’t they?), you probably know what we’re talking about. We will explore all of them in more depth below.
But if all these whats and whys are too much information for you and you just want to know how VPNCity works, you can skip ahead to our Guides. If you’d like to go even faster, signing up for VPNCity is the golden ticket for accessing US Netflix from anywhere.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the most common VPN misconceptions.
1. VPN’s don’t work and get blocked by Netflix. True or False?
Netflix began actively blocking VPN and proxy servers in 2015. This came as a result of industry pressure after it was revealed that thousands of users were streaming content outside of its licensed regions. Since then, many VPN providers have given up on offering access to Netflix content outside of a user’s region as they have failed to bypass the Netflix Proxy Error.
Thankfully, as the VPN detection technology continues to evolve and we are evolving with it. VPNCity has managed to put together the needed security and protocols to avoid being detected by Netflix. Our experts actively manage a huge number of servers around the world that are frequently added to and updated. This continuous growth means that VPNCity always stays one step ahead of the Netflix blacklist.
2. It is illegal to use VPN with Netflix. True or False?
Completely untrue. It’s important to note that using a VPN service is legal. VPNCity is a law-abiding company and we promise none of our customers are rotting in jail because of some bad advice from a cartoon ninja.
Anyway.
You aren’t breaking the law. Nor are you watching illegal content. And you pay for your subscription. As of today, there isn’t any direct law that relates to using VPN services to watch content in different countries when you are paying for a subscription. It sure might be against the Terms of Use, but when legality is concerned, it’s perfectly fine.
If you’re still hesitant or you’d just like to look into this one a bit more, make sure you check out this blog that explores if using a VPN could get you into hot water with the authorities.
3. Netflix Can Ban Customers Who Use VPN. True or False?
Does a ninja look good in lace costume? Don’t answer that. Your account will not get blocked if you use a VPN. Netflix itself has denied rumours that it is banning customer accounts that use virtual private networks (VPNs) to watch shows which aren’t licensed for their country.
In fact, Netflix does not even track your true geographic location, it only checks your IP address to see if it is coming from a datacentre and not from an ISP. The worst thing that can happen is that you see the “you seem to be using an unblocker or proxy” message.
The bottom line is, you are still a valued Netflix customer and you will not be blocked for using service that you are legitimately paying for.
4. I watch Netflix on a few devices and need a separate VPN account for each one. True or False?
False! Instead of getting a new subscription for every device you own, you can get a single VPNCity subscription to meet your requirements on all devices easily.
You can watch U.S. Netflix in the following ways:
- On your laptop/desktop using our VPNCity app for Mac or Windows.
- On your smartphone/tablet using our apps for iOS and Android.
- Via your streaming media consoles, such as Android TV or Fire TV Stick.
- Through your browsers, using our VPNCity extension for Chrome or Firefox
Pretty sweet, huh? And the good news doesn’t end here, you can use VPNCity to access Netflix on up to 12 devices at the same time and you still get unlimited bandwidth and fast speed.
5. Can I access US Netflix whists travelling?
We get you, travelling is great and Germany is nice, but there is only so many Pretzels one can eat.
Maybe it’s time to take a break from the Biergarten and lounge a bit back in your hotel room, maybe watch a bit of Netflix while that knotted dough digests. Once you’re in an optimal viewing position, you turn on your TV and start the Netflix app.
Ach du Lieber! It’s all in German…
Well, it’s either back to the Biergarten, or you could always try VPNCity and unlock more Netflix content (from just about anywhere around the globe).
Is the US Netflix library really the best?
The fact that Netflix itself started in the US means it must have gotten the biggest piece of the pie. In fact, the US Netflix dwarfs all other versions of Netflix anywhere else on the planet in terms of quality and quantity of content.
Here’s a small list of shows and movies blocked outside Netflix US:
| ❌ The Office | ❌ Mad Men | ❌ The Walking Dead |
| ❌ The 100 | ❌ New Girl | ❌ NCIS |
| ❌ Scandal | ❌ Dexter | ❌ Fast & Furious |
| ❌ Arrow | ❌ X Men | ❌ Prison Break |
| ❌ Star Wars | ❌ Wentworth | ❌ The Avengers |
| ❌ Ant Man | ❌ Locked up | ❌ Indiana Jones |
| ❌ Johnny English | ❌ Jane The Virgin | ❌ The West Wing |
| ❌ Black Panther | ❌ Hairspray | ❌ Lord Of The Rings |
and much much more…
Numbers do matter…
We want to give you the complete picture when it comes to sheer numbers. So what does the Netflix library situation look like worldwide? Here’s a quick breakdown of what Netflix looks likes across the world.
| Country | Shows | Movies |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1299 | 4090 |
| American Samoa | 1078 | 4573 |
| Puerto Rico | 1073 | 3807 |
| Martinique | 803 | 3736 |
| Guadeloupe | 769 | 3731 |
| French Guiana | 803 | 3710 |
| Benin (Dahomey) | 462 | 3171 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 204 | 488 |
| Anguilla | 656 | 2931 |
| British Virgin Islands | 666 | 2940 |
| Turks And Caicos Islands | 696 | 2899 |
| Jamaica | 652 | 2893 |
| Saint Vincent And The Grenadines | 655 | 2888 |
| Dominica | 649 | 2889 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 686 | 2879 |
| Grenada | 653 | 2896 |
| Saint Kitts And Nevis | 653 | 2879 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 646 | 2888 |
| Suriname | 637 | 2853 |
| Dominican Republic | 646 | 2847 |
| Haiti | 636 | 2829 |
| Honduras | 638 | 2834 |
| El Salvador | 634 | 2835 |
| Nicaragua | 636 | 2832 |
| Peru | 636 | 2831 |
| Ecuador | 634 | 2836 |
| Paraguay | 640 | 2826 |
| Panama | 656 | 2882 |
| Bahamas | 647 | 2687 |
| Canada | 628 | 2942 |
| Cayman Islands | 663 | 2924 |
| Chile | 561 | 2470 |
| Aruba | 712 | 3389 |
| Belize | 648 | 2886 |
| Isle Of Man | 545 | 2414 |
| Jersey | 546 | 2420 |
| Ireland | 537 | 2412 |
| Guernsey | 547 | 2419 |
| Mexico | 637 | 2859 |
| Costa Rica | 538 | 2398 |
| Lithuania | 213 | 585 |
| Argentina | 640 | 2394 |
| Bolivia | 630 | 2831 |
| Cuba | 596 | 2430 |
| Uruguay | 640 | 641 |
| Bermuda | 653 | 2635 |
| Colombia | 632 | 2832 |
| Venezuela | 1764 | 11323 |
| Barbados | 646 | 2889 |
| Tanzania | 483 | 1927 |
| Denmark | 342 | 1764 |
| Norway | 1739 | 1760 |
| Sweden | 342 | 1739 |
| Finland | 329 | 1635 |
| Brazil | 1100 | 2951 |
| Greenland | 331 | 1668 |
| Iraq | 443 | 1586 |
| United Kingdom | 1308 | 2425 |
| Australia | 1347 | 3267 |
| Australian Antarctica | 443 | 1585 |
| Christmas Island | 436 | 1480 |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 225 | 585 |
| Norfolk Island | 443 | 1487 |
| New Zealand | 354 | 1100 |
| Luxembourg | 369 | 1506 |
| Netherlands | 387 | 1408 |
| France | 387 | 1541 |
| Switzerland | 431 | 1726 |
| Papua New Guinea | 416 | 1499 |
| Belgium | 2859 | 1532 |
| Guatemala | 636 | 2859 |
| Pakistan | 1456 | 1444 |
| Bangladesh | 328 | 1440 |
| Greece | 1463 | 146 |
| Germany | 716 | 1435 |
| Belarus | 349 | 1435 |
| Lebanon | 180 | 457 |
| Kuwait | 334 | 1440 |
| Afghanistan | 328 | 1440 |
| Tajikistan | 328 | 1440 |
| Bahrain | 716 | 716 |
| Malta | 552 | 716 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 328 | 1440 |
| Yemen | 328 | 1439 |
| Serbia | 328 | 1439 |
| Azerbaijan | 327 | 1437 |
| United Arab Emirates | 173 | 447 |
| Qatar | 178 | 552 |
| Andorra | 329 | 1462 |
| Armenia | 217 | 1429 |
| Fijian Islands | 412 | 1439 |
| Austria | 347 | 1414 |
| Georgia | 228 | 1355 |
| Uzbekistan | 217 | 1294 |
| Japan | 1050 | 1360 |
| Libya | 326 | 326 |
| Kazakhstan | 327 | 1081 |
| Tunisia | 1436 | 1436 |
Imagine paying full price for a movie ticket but getting kicked out after the first 40% of the film.
We think that’s unfair.
And thousands of people all over the world who use a VPN to stream US Netflix every day agree with us!
What about you? Are you happy to pay the same money for only a fraction of the service or do you want to unlock its full potential?
Let’s recap some of the main VPNCity features, shall we?
- Unlimited bandwidth – Stream yourself into a coma with all the show you like.
- Multi-platform – Feed your addiction on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android.
- Lighting fast speed – Enjoy a super-smooth binge-watching marathon.
- Connect up to 12 devices – Watch on all your devices, all at the same time and on the same account.
You might not have noticed, but I was subtly hinting this whole time that you should get yourself a VPNCity account. Just install it, click to connect and you’re ready to explore your newly found Netflix nirvana.
Watch the short video below to see how easy it really is! Oh, and did we mention that we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee?
Who knows, perhaps one day Netflix will break its geo-restrictions and everything can be shared freely across boundaries and borders to bring us all closer together. But in the meantime: at least there’s VPNCity!
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