Best VPN American TV in France: US Channels and the VPNs That Unblock Them

Our tests ran from Europe, so the results match what a connection in France sees. Without a VPN, NBC, ABC, and CBS showed region messages. On a New York server, NordVPN unblocked each of them, including CBS News 24/7. NBC, ABC, PBS, and Peacock unblocked on Proton VPN and ExpressVPN too, but CBS detected both on their New York servers.

Open the VPN app, connect to New York, and reload the US site with its cookies deleted. New York is the nearest large US city to France, and ping measured 113 to 118 ms there on the three VPNs. The site then treats the connection as American and replaces its US-only block with the live player. PBS, NBC, and the free news streams from CBS and ABC played with no account.

ABC’s full live channel requires a login from a US TV provider, and Fox worked during its three-day trial. When a network detects the VPN, a server in a different US city usually fixes it. CBS played with Proton VPN and ExpressVPN on their Seattle servers. Paid services work with an account created in the US. The sign-up pages for YouTube TV, Hulu, and Peacock appeared on the three VPNs, and each requested a US payment card.

Several US platforms operate separate French services, so a VPN is only required for the ones that don’t.

Figures from a Windows 11 computer in Europe during our September round, against a 190.36 Mbps baseline. Every VPN unblocked NBC, ABC, PBS, Peacock, and Netflix US, so the table shows only the differences.

In New York, NordVPN delivered 179.88 Mbps, and it was the only VPN CBS News 24/7 accepted there. Hulu and Peacock unblocked on it, while Pluto TV and Prime Video detected it occasionally. NordVPN offers 55 US cities, among them a New York server group suited to East Coast channels.

On Windows, NordVPN occasionally failed to connect when another VPN app was installed on the same PC, even unused. A diagnostics check and a new login fixed it each time. The two-year Basic plan comes to less than $3.50 a month, and a year after renewal costs roughly $139.

Proton VPN measured 145.61 Mbps in New York, and its server there unblocked Netflix US, HBO Max, and Peacock. Hulu, Disney+, and Pluto TV blocked it, so viewers who rely on those services are better served by NordVPN. Its app groups US servers by state, which makes a switch from New York to Seattle quick when a site detects the connection.

On a two-year billing, the VPN Plus plan averages below $3 a month, and renewals cost about $84 a year. Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, and Securitum has audited its no-logs policy each year since 2022.