Best VPNs for Watching RaiPlay from Anywhere (Outside Italy)

RaiPlay is a free streaming service from Italy’s public broadcaster, Rai, offering a wide variety of live and on-demand content. However, due to licensing agreements, access is restricted to viewers within Italy.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the most effective way to watch RaiPlay from outside the country. A VPN lets you connect to a server located in Italy, which makes it appear as though you are Browse from there, granting you full access to the RaiPlay library. The best VPNs for this purpose provide reliable Italian servers, robust security features, and fast connection speeds to ensure a smooth streaming experience.

Top providers such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are excellent options. Each offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk-free.

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the top VPN services for accessing RaiPlay. We will also provide a detailed, step-by-step process for how to watch RaiPlay from anywhere using a VPN.

How to Choose the Best VPN for RaiPlay

When selecting a VPN for watching RaiPlay, consider these five key factors to ensure the best experience.

• Servers in Italy: To access RaiPlay, you must connect to a server located in Italy. When choosing a VPN, confirm that the provider offers servers in Italy.
• Security and Privacy: A secure VPN is essential for protecting your online activity. Look for providers that offer strong security features like AES 256-bit encryption and a kill switch. A kill switch automatically disconnects you from the internet if the VPN connection drops, preventing data leaks. For maximum privacy, choose a VPN with a strict no-logs policy, which guarantees that your online activities are never recorded.
• Connection Speed: While VPNs can sometimes slow down your internet connection due to encryption, leading video streaming services require fast speeds to avoid buffering. Premium VPN services, such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN, are optimized for speed, so you will likely not notice any difference.
• Ability to Unblock Content: Geo-restrictions can be difficult to bypass. Well-established VPNs with a large user base typically have more resources to consistently overcome these blocks, ensuring reliable access to services like RaiPlay. Less popular services may struggle with connection stability and access.
• Customer Support: You may occasionally encounter issues, such as a website suddenly becoming inaccessible or an app behaving unexpectedly after an update. In these situations, responsive and helpful customer support is crucial for resolving problems quickly. Look for providers that offer 24/7 live chat or email support.

Best VPN Services for Watching RaiPlay from Anywhere (Outside Italy)

Here are some excellent VPN services we recommend.

How to Watch RaiPlay from Anywhere (Outside Italy)

Here are the steps to access RaiPlay using a VPN:

ExpressVPN has some of the fastest internet speeds of the VPNs we have used. All VPNs may slow down your internet connection, but ExpressVPN is one of the fastest, and you rarely notice the difference. So, using ExpressVPN, you can enjoy TV programs normally available only in other countries without a noticeable difference in speed. After you’ve registered with ExpressVPN, you can easily browse the internet using ExpressVPN just by downloading their app

Step 1: Sign up for ExpressVPN

To register with ExpressVPN, click the “Claim Exclusive Deal” button as shown below. After the price plan is shown, follow the instructions.

STEP2. Download the VPN app, launch it, and connect to a server in Italy

After registering with ExpressVPN, download and launch the app. Click the “…” in the app and type “Italy” in the search box.

Select a server and click the power icon in the center. You are now connected to a server in Italy.

STEP3. Go to the RaiPlay website or app to create an account and start watching

Access RaiPlay.

You need to access RaiPlay while connected to a server in Italy, so that RaiPlay will treat you as if you are accessing it from Italy.

You can watch live content from several RaiTV channels without registering. However, registering provides access to a much broader range of content. From the home screen, select the content you wish to view and click “REPRODUCI” (REPLAY).

If you have already signed up for RaiPlay, simply log in to start watching. If you haven’t signed up yet, you will need to register. You can register using your email or via your Facebook, Twitter, Google, Huawei, or Apple ID. Click on “CREA UN ACCOUNT RAI” (CREATE RAI ACCOUNT) to create your account via email.

Fill in the required information, agree to the privacy policy by checking the corresponding boxes, and click “REGISTRATI” (REGISTER).

A confirmation email will be sent to your registered email address. Click on the link in the email to complete your registration. Once logged in, you can start enjoying RaiPlay.

Why is RaiPlay Not Available Outside of Italy?

The primary reason RaiPlay is restricted to viewers in Italy is due to broadcasting rights and licensing agreements. These agreements limit where Rai can legally show its content, confining it to the national territory.

The official RaiPlay FAQ page addresses this directly regarding its on-demand library:

Perché l’offerta On demand all’estero è limitata?

L’offerta RaiPlay all’estero è ridotta per limitazioni legate alla tipologia di diritti web detenuta da Rai, spesso limitata al solo territorio nazionale.

<Translation>
Why are on-demand offerings restricted in other countries?
RaiPlay’s offerings abroad are limited due to the type of web rights held by Rai, which are often confined to the national territory only.

Source: FAQ | Rai Play

Similarly, if you attempt to watch a live broadcast from abroad, you will be blocked by a geo-restriction error. The website provides the following explanation:

Dall’estero è possibile vedere le dirette streaming?

Se ti trovi all’estero, al posto delle dirette streaming comparirà il messaggio:
“Siamo spiacenti, Rai detiene i diritti per lo streaming del contenuto esclusivamente per connessioni dall’Italia”.
Per aspetti legati ai diritti di trasmissione, la diretta web è geoprotetta e quindi visibile soltanto agli utenti che si collegano dal territorio nazionale.

<Translation>
Can I watch live streaming from overseas?
If you are abroad, the message “We are sorry, Rai holds the rights to stream this content exclusively for connections from Italy” will appear in place of the live stream.Due to broadcasting rights, the live web stream is geoprotected and therefore only visible to users connecting from within Italy.

Source: FAQ | Rai Play

How Does a VPN Enables You to Access RaiPlay from Outside Italy?

Using a VPN enables you to mask your location. A website like RaiPlay determines screen content based on IP address. For example, if you access the website from outside Italy, the screen content will not be displayed. However, if you access the website via an internet provider in Italy, screen content for Italy will be shown.

If you access the website via VPN servers in Italy, your IP address will actually appear like this. By using a VPN, the website will treat you as if you are browsing from Italy, regardless of where you are.

FAQs

Conclusion