How to watch City TV outside Canada

For many young Canadian who grew up in the city, City TV was an essential part of their youth. City TV is now official known as City, but most Canadian’s still use the old moniker. It offers a network of six different TV stations located in Canada’s six main metropolitan areas which are all renowned for their unconventional programming and which are targeted at a young demographic. It has proved to be pretty successful and, since landing the exclusive national rights to show the National Hockey League (NHL) in Canada, City’s audiences have continued to grow. More people of all different age ranges tuning in to watch Canada’s national sport, as well as enjoy their irreverent mix of news, comedy, drama, and reality TV.

However, if you are based outside Canada, but want to tune in to City TV’s programming, you will be disappointed. That’s because, while City TV does stream all of its content online, it blocks anyone from overseas being able to watch. This means that Canadian ex-pats, and others interested in Canadian culture and sport, cannot watch their favorite hockey team, keep in touch with local news, or watch some of Canada’s most popular primetime shows. But fortunately, there is a way around this. As we will explain in this article, it is quite easy to get around these restrictions and watch City TV no matter where in the world. All you need is a VPN, and to keep reading we will tell you the best ones to use and exactly how to do it.

How to watch City TV outside Canada

 If you have ever tried to stream a City TV show from outsider Canada, you will know that it is a fruitless exercise. You quickly receive an error message on screen, like the one above, which reads “This video is restricted from playing in your current geographic region.” This message pops up because City TV are employing something known as geo-blocking technology. This is a simple technique which City TV uses to reads the IP Address of everyone who visits their site. Your IP Address includes details of exactly where your internet connection is based. If it tells City TV you are outside Canada, they will simply pop up this message and refuse to allow you to stream any of their programs.

But by using a VPN, it is possible to fool City TV into thinking you are in Canada even when you aren’t. A VPN works by redirecting all of your online traffic through its own server before sending it off to its intended destination. When your data passes through that server, it is tagged with the servers IP Address instead of your own. If that server is located in Canada, then the IP Address connected to your data will tell City TV that you are in Canada too and so you will be allowed to stream their shows. It really is that simple. All you need to do is follow these four simple steps to unblock City TV:

1. Sign up for a VPN.
2. Download their app onto your chosen device.
3. Log-in to your VPN and connect to a server located in Canada.
4. Visit the MYTF1 website or app and start streaming their programs as normal.

In fact, the only really difficult part is deciding which of the numerous VPN there are on the market to use. But, we can help you with that decision too.

Best VPN to watch City TV outside Canada

On the face of it, trying to decide which VPN is the best for streaming City TV shows outside Canada seems a daunting prospect. There are so many VPNs out there at the moment and all claim to be the best in the business. But the reality is that some are much more suited to streaming online content than others. When selecting the right VPN, there are a number of criteria you should be looking for:

• Canadian servers available – To successfully stream City TV outside Canada, you will need a provider which offers a good selection of servers based in Canada.
• Fast Connection Speeds – Online streaming requires fast connection speeds, but some VPNs actually slow down your internet speeds. However, the best providers offer super-fast connections which are ideal for online streaming.
• No bandwidth restrictions – Online streaming is very data intensive, but some VPNs limit the amount of data you can use with them. This is no good at all for online streaming, so always look for a provider which has no data restrictions.
• Encryption strength and security–VPNs are an online security and privacy tool and the best providers will always offer strong encryption to keep user data safe when streaming City TV content overseas.
• Effectiveness of privacy policies – Because City TV doesn’t want you circumventing their geo-blocking, your online privacy when doing so is important. Some VPNs offer better privacy protection than others, but the best all keep absolutely no user logs, making them ideal.

Using these criteria as our benchmark, we haver road-tested all the major VPN providers to see which offer the best service for users who want to watch City TV outside Canada. We found that there are three providers who can tick all of the boxes, deliver an impressive all-round service, and stream City TV without any problems:

1. ExpressVPN 

ExpressVPN is one of the best-known VPNs on the market with a reputation for lightning-fast connection speeds. This reputation is well justified and makes them an ideal choice for online streaming. But they offer a terrific all-around service too. ExpressVPN also offers robust security and privacy protections. They employ 256-bit encryption as standard for all users and also have a guaranteed and proven no-logging policy, which means they keep absolutely no record of what you are doing online.

The ExpressVPN server network is one of the biggest around with more than 1,500 servers available in 94 different countries, including plenty in Canada. They have no data restriction in place whatsoever and with user-friendly apps available for almost every device, you can watch City TV just about anywhere with them. The only slight downside to ExpressVPN is that it is a little more expensive than some of its rivals. But, few can compete with their service which is why countless people have chosen to pay a little more for the best VPN around for online streaming.

Read our full ExpressVPN review here.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN is priced at a much more affordable level than ExpressVPN, especially if you choose their new three-year subscription deal. But that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality, because NordVPN pushes ExpressVPN extremely hard for the top spot on this list. Recent infrastructure investments mean their network of 1779 servers in 61 countries is now mostly made up of super-fast servers. There are plenty of Canada-based servers available too.

NordVPN also has strong security provisions available as well with 256-bit encryption available on OpenVPN connections as standard as well as lots of additional security features. These include including a kill switch, shared IP Addresses, double VPN servers (which reroutes your internet data via two servers for extra protection) and Onion over VPN servers (which pushes your traffic through the TOR Network and a VPN for additional security). NordVPN has no data usage restrictions whatsoever, offer a trustworthy no user logs police, and also has a great range of user-friendly apps. It is a really cost-effective service and another one geared to delivering online streaming that is fast and secure.

Read our full NordVPN review here.

3. CyberGhost

Our third recommendation is CyberGhost, which offers a user-friendly VPN service that ticks all the boxes and is great for those who are new to VPNs. CyberGhost offers a great range of well-designed, user-friendly apps for almost every device. There is no need to configure them either because they are really easy to use. All you have to do is click on “Unblock Streaming” and then choose a server in Canada. CyberGhost will do the rest for you and all you have to do is visit the City TV website to start streaming.

As well as being easy to use, CyberGhost still offers strong security and privacy protections with 256-bit encryption offered across all connections and a reliable no logging policy in place too. Their server network is made up of more than 1,300 servers in almost 60 countries, including several in Canada. And there are also no data restrictions meaning you can stream as much as you like. CyberGhost lacks some of the bells and whistles of other providers, but for first-timers or those who like to keep things simple, it is the perfect solution.

Read our full CyberGhost review here.

What is City TV?

City TV, nowadays officially known as City, is a Canadian TV network owned by the Rogers Media Group. It comprises six owned and operated TV stations which are located in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal. They also operate a cable TV channel for viewers in the province of  Saskatchewan and three independently-owned affiliate stations operating in smaller cities in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

The network can trace its roots back to 1971 when City TV began broadcasting in Toronto under the ownership of Channel Seventy-Nine Ltd. The group grew rapidly to cover most of the country and while ownership has changed over the years, it retained the City TV moniker right up to 2012, when they formally rebranded to City. For most Canadian’s, the term City TV has stuck though and their unconventional style, deliberate targeting of young demographics and unconventional approach to programs has helped them to cultivate a loyal audience. As many Canadian’s move overseas for work and global interest in Canada increases, so too does the demand to access City TV content overseas, which is why we have compiled this guide to help.

What can I watch on City TV?

Across the City TV network, there is a wide variety of different programing, mostly aimed at younger audiences. Their exclusive coverage of the NHL, with a particular focus on Canadian teams such as the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators, has drawn big viewing figures. Their City TV News shows have also long been popular and are seen as a great innovator in the genre. They were one of the first channels to take news desks out of the studio and also to have reporters carrying their own cameras, in a style of journalism that has become known as video journalism.

City TV has produced quite a number of innovative original shows over the years too. As well as the usual selection of drama, comedy, and soap operas, they have also produced programming aimed at Canada’s ethnic minority groups, their own entertainment and variety shows, and even a few more risqué adult-themed shows, such as ‘Barely Cooking’. They are also home to the Canadian syndications of popular shows such as Canada’s Next Top Model and The Bachelor Canada, while they also have plenty of syndicated shows from the USA and the UK available too. It is this broad range of entertainment-focused content which so attracts young people to City TV and while their programing has moved more in line with that of their rivals in recent years, they are still the go-to channel for many young Canadians.

What devices can I stream City TV on?

City TV is available on local channels in the six Canadian cities referred to above. They can also be found on most Canadian cable and satellite TV packages too. For those who prefer to stream online, you can watch all of City TV’s content through their website, www.citytv.com. If you like to do your online viewing on mobile devices, the City Video app can be downloaded for both iOS and Android devices from the usual app stores. The Android app can also be downloaded onto a number of other devices too, most notably many different smart TVs.

However, readers should be aware that all of these apps use the same geo-blocking technology as the main City TV website. This means that if you are based outside Canada you will still not be able to stream content through the apps, even if you manage to download them successfully. But, if you use a VPN on your mobile device, these apps should work as usual as soon as you connect to your VPN’s Canadian server. Each of the VPNs we have recommended in this article offer apps for both iOS and Android devices as well as various other devices too. This means that with a VPN it is possible to watch City TV on just about any device anywhere in the world.

Conclusion 

For young Canadian’s City TV remains the go-to place for entertainment and reality shows, exclusive coverage of the NHL, and innovate local news. However, if you are based overseas, City TV is not available unless you use a VPN. In this article, we have explained exactly what you need to do to stream City TV from outside Canada. We have explained what you should be looking for in a VPN provider and also highlighted our recommended providers to use to stream City TV overseas. Each costs only a few dollars a month to subscribe too and, given the wealth of great content available on City TV, offer excellent value for money for all Canadian’s based overseas.

Are you a Canadian expat or a fan of Canadian TV and culture? Have you been frustrated in your efforts to watch City TV overseas? How helpful was this article for you? Which of our recommended VPNs did you opt for to stream City TV? How did you find the results? Did you encounter any problems, or do you have any suggestions for our other readers? We always welcome the thoughts and opinions of all our readers, so why not share them with us using the comment box below?

Don't miss this great deal