The benefits of using a VPN if you're in the United States

Using a VPN, or virtual private network, carries several benefits especially for soccer fans.

VPN services, such as Nord VPN and others, allow the public to more securely access the internet. If you work remotely, you may be familiar with a VPN, as they are often used to help workers connect to company intranet networks, as if they were physically in office.

Why use a VPN? There are several benefits.

Enhanced security

Even if you stick to legitimate, legal websites and services, the Internet can still be a dodgy place. A VPN can increase the security and privacy of your online activities. You’re connected via a secure tunnel to the web. This is super helpful if you’re traveling or on public wi-fi such as at a coffee shop or library. It also protects you from data throttling by your internet provider when streaming content.

It’s not totally perfect, nothing is, but via encryption and other security protocols, your data and activity can be better protected with a VPN.

Location flexibility

A VPN can also work as a sort of digital passport. With a VPN, you can make the internet think your computer or other device is located in a different physical location than it actually is. Why is this useful?

Well, if you’re a fan of soccer or other TV programming from overseas, it can get you access. Certain services and content are geo-blocked. That is, they’re only available in certain regions. For example, when you’re watching a game on TV in the United States, you can listen to radio commentary from BBC Radio 5 for the same match with commentators that are much better than on American TV. Without a VPN, the radio commentaries are blocked.

But with a VPN, your IP address is changed, and you can appear to be located in the necessary region, and therefore gain access to the content. This comes in handy if your favorite league, team, or show from back home is unavailable in the US (or wherever you happen to be at the moment).

Vice-versa, if you’re traveling overseas and you’ve subscribed to streaming services like Netflix and others, you can continue watching them when you’re traveling abroad using a VPN. After all, you’ve paid for the subscription. But without a VPN, Netflix and other services will try to block you from watching them if you’re overseas.

A big benefit of VPNs

By using a VPN, you can improve the quality of your news, sports and entertainment viewing. For example, watching BBC News for its exemplary coverage of world events is key. Since the BBC doesn’t have advertising, all of its programs are ad-free.

And if you like watching dramas, comedies and other entertainment shows, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 often air quality shows. Sometimes, they air several months before the programs are shown in the United States, so you can watch them before most people do here.

Ease of Use

VPNs are very easy to use. They simply run in the background, and you go on with your internet and streaming usage like you normally would. Once you’re set up, it’s basically a no-maintenance extra layer of security and flexibility for your online experience.

Those are just some of the basic benefits of a VPN. For a more in-depth breakdown, check out one of the many providers online, such as Nord VPN, which have FAQs to get you more informed.