Want to know how to watch Blue Bloods online – even though you don’t live in the US? Our guide will help you to do this with minimum hassle and time. Ready to indulge your passion for this hugely-popular and fast-moving cop show? Then read on swiftly to the sound of Reagan’s Theme…
About Blue Bloods
First aired in 2010 and set in New York City, Blue Bloods is a hit cop show which stars Tom Selleck as New York Police Commissioner, Frank Reagan. As the head of the Reagan family, he oversees two generations of cops. The eldest son, Danny (played by Donnie Wahlberg ) is an experienced detective and veteran of the Iraqi War. He’s a fan of using unorthodox methods to solve crimes and often two steps away from getting into deep water.
Erin (played by Bridget Moynahan) is the only female law enforcement professional of the siblings, an assistant district attorney and a soothing steer to her hot-headed brother. Jamie (Will Estes), the youngest, has recently graduated Harvard Law and is the undoubted family ‘golden boy’ – giving up a glistening future in corporate law to become a police officer himself. So promising is the young crime fighter that he’s even asked to take part in a covert operation that even Frank isn’t party to.
A runaway hit
The show is such a hit that it has already run for 185 episodes, and the CBS network owns the rights. There have been nine seasons to date, with the current series premiering in the US in September. Fans have raved about the gritty realism of the show’s location sets, and the exciting plotlines which still manage to be suitable for younger viewers.
Each episode takes on a new case or crime, and nearly always includes a dinner table discussion of the complexities of upholding the law. As well as looking at crime, episodes delve into each of the individual characters and their relationships, creating a vibrant network of characterization and plotlines that has fans hooked!
How to watch Blue Bloods online
Want to know how to watch Blue Bloods online? Without the right tech, it helps to be located in the US! There are several ways to watch Blue Bloods in the UK, but they are all paid for options, as follows:
- Amazon Prime and iTunes
In the UK you can buy and watch individual episodes or series through Amazon Prime to watch online. A single series costs from between £22.99 and £29.99 – and you’ll find similar prices on iTunes too. Single episodes cost £2.49 each.
- Sky
You can also watch Blue Bloods with Sky through its Sky Atlantic channel. Sky runs different offers, but expect to pay around £30 a month for an initial promotional period.
- Now TV
You can also catch up on season 9 of Blue Bloods on Now TV, but it’s not currently possible to see the previous series. Now TV packages cost around £6.99 a month.
The issue: geo-blocking
Now, Blue Bloods is shown in the US on CBS All Access. The channel – the most popular in America – has an Amazon Prime plug-in and app, but it’s not available in the UK currently, just in the US and Canada. There are plans in place to roll it out globally, but at the moment the only way to access it via the UK is via a geo-blocking override technology such as a VPN.
This is because CBS identifies the IP addresses of customers who are trying to watch Blue Bloods to ensure they are based in the USA. If the IP address is shown as being in the UK or another country, you will be shown an error message and be unable to enjoy the content through the firewall.
Don’t worry though – if you’re still keen to find out how to watch Blue Bloods online and without needing to subscribe to a digital channel or pay for episodes, you can do so by choosing the right VPN provider.
Why is a VPN needed?
A VPN does two main things to maintain security and anonymity when you want to know how to watch Blue Bloods online.
- It provides a private digital ‘tunnel’ between your device and the server you are connecting to, allowing you to watch restricted content.
- It encrypts data that you send in the ‘tunnel’ so that it is doubly safe from any hackers.
In the context of overcoming the geo-blocking issue, it also allows you to disguise your location so that you can set your IP address to show as being in the US or Canada.
CBS will then recognize you as a legitimate US viewer, and then allow you to watch Blue Bloods via your VPN service in the same way that any viewer in the US would do.
Other benefits of a VPN service
As well as overcoming the geo-block with a location mask, you can enjoy additional benefits when you use a VPN for your online activities. For example, you can:
- Remain anonymous online
- Keep your uploaded internet content private
- Bypass any form of block or censorship
- Use temporary IP addresses – something we talk about in more detail in another blog
- Safely use public wifi
- Hide your browsing activity from local networks or ISP
- Share files safely
Which VPN providers we recommend
There is a vast number of VPN providers on the market, and they all offer something different. Our recommended choices are:
ExpressVPN, which offers the full package of instant set-up, top security, and high speeds. It has a slightly higher price point than other providers on the market, but in our opinion, the offer – and the service – are worth it.
NordVPN offers 1,800+ high-speed servers in the US. You can also have 6 simultaneous connections per account. Even better, NordVPN doesn’t keep any logs, so your privacy is completely maintained.
CyberGhost is a bit different to your standard VPN. It lets you choose servers by country, and also by function. So you can pick the best server to stream restricted CBS content and to maintain your privacy while viewing Blue Bloods freely. There is also excellent security and features such as ad and malware blocking.
How to set up your VPN
Once you’ve chosen your VPN service, your provider will tell you how to get set up and running. Many now use an app which allows you to automatically select a server in your country of choice before connecting your device to it to begin viewing. The usual process will work along these lines:
- You’ll sign up for your chosen VPN service
- You’ll create a private VPN user account
- Download the app and use it on the device that you want to watch Blue Bloods on via CBS
- Launch it and choose a US server to make your connection overcome the channel geo-block
- Make use of this temporary IP address as a location mask
- Visit CBS All Access and choose your Blue Bloods episode of choice!
And that’s it! You’ll now be free to watch Blue Bloods at your leisure.
Tech writer and privacy advocate
Julie is a firm believer in equal rights for everyone. She is a traveler and blogger, focusing her efforts on exposing censorship and discrimination around the world. She wants to hold corrupt governments and shady companies accountable by writing investigative articles and helpful guides.
Thanks a lot for the article, I didn’t even know about VPNs, I feel like I’m learning new stuff everyday, I’ll check the other articles of this website it sounds really interesting and thorough concerning VPNs !
Thanks buddy! I was trying to watch it since a month but no luck. This guide is a great help. I’ll follow the steps and I hope I’ll get to see the most talked about show!
Surprisingly some of the most interesting movies online have some form of geo-restriction that prevents we that are living in third-world countries to watch such interesting programs. Anyway, we got the solution now, thanks to you guys VPN PRO.
Blue Blood also has its own Official YouTube Channel and they claim that you can watch Full episodes of Blue Blood on their YouTube Channel but that is not true. The steps given above have helped me watch the TV show in EU easily. Thanks!
“Blue Bloods” is a show I’ve wanted to check out for a few years now. The premise sounds cool and I’ve always been a Tom Selleck fan since his days on “Magnum P.I.” (you didn’t think I was going to say “Quigley Down Under” did you?). BTW, how does Selleck look so good at age 74? He’s as ageless as Dick Clark was!
It seems these American networks just aren’t a big fan of letting the UK in on these shows, alas! A VPN seems the only way to go on some of them. I don’t really like doing it, but it’s the only option if you want to see shows like this. And who wouldn’t want to see that glorious moustache?