Marc_ely

So at the weekend my trusted DNS/VPN (SmartDNS Proxy) failed on BBC iplayer for the first time in years. I raised a support case and was emailed back that they were working on it.
In the meantime I tried IPVanish and that wouldn't allow BBC either.
Anyway, within hours I had an email saying the issue was fixed.

Pretty phenomenal support. I'm not affiliated but really do recommend them.

https://www.smartdnsproxy.com

tennesseestud

Express VPN. I have Sky News on Roku, that's fine however they block the commercials on Roku. If you go through VPN and use the Android app you can see the TV Advertisements. Reminds me how popular Bingo is over there!

Mostly without VPN ... survival guide for footie: Talk Sport App will give you most footie commentary, BBC iPlayer Radio will not but is good for the pre and post match. Plus BBC iPlayer Radio will let you hear most talk shows on local radio. I used to work at BBC WM and I can still listen to Franksie over here in Nashville on the post match call ins ... and the West Midlander's: "I tell ya whut Franksie, bl**dy disgrace today, I tell ya, d'ya know what I mean?". It's great to hear some regional call ins when away from home. I have SlingTV and ESPN3 is doing great for Championship matches. I sometimes dip into some Kodi to get Final Score either on BBC or BT Sport. However the BBC Sport app is good for scores and vidi-printers etc. Antenna TV (ATSC non subscription) in most markets gives you free Premier League matches, F1 a bit of Wimbledon and a tonne of Golf legally on NBC, it's hit and miss what you're going to see. Oddly West Brom are on a lot, Villa were not but I see more Villa matches now they've dropped a peg or two to the old Division 1.

mrken30

I saw this today for those of you using Kodi

How Your Amazon Fire TV Stick and Kodi Could Cause Legal Issues

Mercury39

Good read, including comparisons to previous times where there was attempts to clamp down "The piracy issue is now so pervasive that it’s become normalized. But much like the file-sharing apps of the 2000s and the illegal streaming websites of the early-2010s, it’s not here to stay. The authorities are starting to clamp down."

Also, some references to the use of VPN/DNS services, one wonders if they'll be a legal clamp down ever, or if the whack a hole method is more effective.
....And therein lies the most significant gray area: geo-blocking. If you use a VPN or DNS proxy service, it’s possible to watch the BBC iPlayer app from outside the U.K. The same situation applies to countless other video-on-demand providers. Are you breaking any national laws by accessing the content from outside the intended country? No. But you are breaking each individual company’s licensing agreements and/or terms of use. Technically, the content creator could pursue you in the courts (though there hasn’t yet been an example of such a case).

In my opinion, most people will do the right thing if it was easy for them, Britbox is a good start, but if access to iplayer was available anywhere for a fee, most people who wanted to access it would pay. Likely the content agreements don't make it that easy.