How To Watch American Netflix in Canada

Live in Canada and dismayed that your southern neighbors get more content to watch than you? Want to watch American Netflix in Canada to get the full experience? A particular show not available where you live but is in the US? This tutorial will show you exactly how to watch American Netflix in Canada.

Netflix and other top streaming services really have upset traditional cable companies and changed the way we view TV shows. No need to stay at home or use the main TV connected to our cable or satellite box and no need to pay for a cable subscription. All you need is internet and a device capable of streaming.

While exact numbers change, the US Netflix catalog averages around 5,000 titles at any one time. Canada’s catalog averages around 3,000. That’s quite a difference considering trade is equal in most other areas of industry and we share several thousand miles of border. However, it’s about licensing and not geography and Canada isn’t the only country in the world to have to suffer a limited catalog.

Why does America get more Netflix?

The US Netflix catalog is the widest of anywhere in the world. It’s the same for Hulu and other streaming services that operate in countries other than the US. It isn’t just the fault of Netflix but Hollywood and rights holders. So what’s the story?

It’s about licensing and about tastes.

Hollywood negotiates different licensing terms for different countries. They know the American audience is fairly loyal and will not tolerate high prices to access entertainment. Therefore it keeps licenses fairly sensible. Other territories are more forgiving and Hollywood can negotiate higher license fees. Europe for example pays higher fees to access movies than we do.

If Hollywood doesn’t get a good price for a license, it won’t grant the license and will not grant permission for Netflix to show that title in places that didn’t buy the license.

There is also the question of taste. Different parts of the world have different cultural tastes that means some movies and TV shows will work while others don’t. Some American humor is unique to us, so doesn’t always translate elsewhere. Some European shows have content and references that American’s won’t understand or enjoy, so they don’t work either.

Netflix learns as it goes and tries to offer content it thinks would be most enjoyable to the most amount of people.

American Netflix in Canada

To watch American Netflix in Canada you need a VPN. TechJunkie covers VPNs in a lot of detail and for good reason. Everyone should use one whenever they go online. Your habits are being tracked and your data is for sale and a VPN is your main defense against it. Even if you have nothing to hide, it’s your data so you should control it. Nobody should be making money off your data without your permission.

More importantly, if you want to access American Netflix in Canada, you need a VPN to trick Netflix into thinking you’re in the US. If you want to increase security while also getting the full Netflix experience, you need to read What is the Best VPN Service? – May 2019.

Each of the VPNs featured will work with Netflix and will have US exit nodes. The location of those exit nodes, where your encrypted VPN traffic appears to come from as far as Netflix is concerned, is a prime consideration here. If you want to watch American Netflix in Canada, you need one or more US exit nodes. Each of the recommendation have at least one. In particular, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and TunnelBear all have a number of US-based exit nodes that let Netflix believe you’re in America and not Canada.

Just be aware that there is no guarantee with any VPN that you will be able to access content.

Netflix are under a lot of pressure from Hollywood to fight back against VPNs and prevent them accessing content from outside their licensed region. There is an ongoing game of cat and mouse going on between VPN providers and Netflix to stay ahead of the game. If you are looking for a VPN to access American Netflix in Canada, look for one that specifically mentions Netflix and that works to stay ahead of the blocklists the company maintains to stop VPN access.

Watching American Netflix in Canada is entirely possible with the right VPN. Then you can access all the content everyone should be allowed to access given we all pay the same price for Netflix. If that method also protects your data while online and can stop ads and malware too, it’s even more reason to try a VPN!

Do you use a VPN to watch American Netflix in Canada? Which do you use? Would you recommend it? Tell us about it below!