I think it’s a copyright issue. They negotiate rights to transmit third party content in the UK but not to a wider audience. I’d happily pay a subscription to iPlayer if it was available.
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Listening to a podcast just now it stated that “episodes of … are released on Mondays, wherever you get your podcasts. But if you are in the UK, you can listen to the next episode now. First on BBC Sounds”. 
A few years ago you could, they done away with it, I can remember why. 
IIRC the subscription was 99€/yr.
Ann not Anne, actually.
Im not that ‘Teckie’ but I understand a little.
im lucky that I have a good friend in the UK who talks me through issues like this.
he helped me install NordVPN direct on my router - so I have a static IP address for that and I can select which country its based in.
so my ‘smart’ tv’s etc all have a static IP address and can get Freeview and all channels etc for free; all radio channels too.
I can change the VPN location for say ‘Vietnam’ and then watch some premier league matches all free and legitimate.
I hope thats not too much Tech info; but there are work arounds when these things happen; im sure YouTube etc would have great help on this issue.
I think I pay around €99 a year for the VPN, which runs 5 TV’s and various digital radios etc. it has 2 wireless networks; one which is direct from the Orange Fibre box to WAP points - so all local; and another via the VPN IP address - so its a good choice for all situations.
hope that helps.
I’d suggest that bit is arguable.
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Appears to be legitimate is probably what was meant I think. That’s the whole idea of a VPN.
Only for people like us. For other markets privacy seems to be the selling point.
I certainly use mine if ever I have to use wifi in a cafe or restaurant or hotel.
Exactly Hairbear; thats what I meant.
just trying to help the other poster, thats all.
I have a work around which under no law I know is illegal.
John H - whats the argument why its not legitimate then ?
VPN’s are fully legal for use in Europe.
VPNs are illegal in a handful of countries, such as North Korea, Turkmenistan, Belarus, and Iraq.
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It’s the fraud aspect that’s illegal. In most countries, use of a VPN is, of course, entirely legal.
But by using a VPN, you’re making the site you’re using think you’re from a different country and someone who is entitled to use a service, when in fact you’re not.
If you think about it, it’s obvious: if you were entitled to use the service in question, you wouldn’t need to use a VPN.
How you view that is up to you, of course, and I’m not judging.
If you pay for a tv licence then its not fraud in any way. you can purchase a uk tv licence online from france. https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/pay-for-your-tv-licence/index.app
you just need to have a VPN to then view the service youve purchased.
Without the licence its just against the T’s and C’s of said licence authority- not illegal.
I was just trying to help the OP; thats all. I thought that was the idea - to offer a solution to a problem; my mistake…
its clear that any ‘useful’ interjections get shot down;
ill get back to watching Question Time from last week…
Bonne nuit à tous
So why do the BBC put do much effort into blocking VPNs?
I’m afraid it is. The BBC’s rights agreements allow the corporation to exploit its recordings in the UK only.
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I was just answering your question
And trying to make it clear that
Bonne nuit!
If you’re using it to circumvent licensing and copyright conditions then it’s hard to argue that it’s legit.
Note that I’m very much in “people in glass houses territory here” but I don’t try to tell myself that’s all above board.
A bit of selective reading of the BBC website there.
This page is quite explicit
Can I use BBC iPlayer when I'm outside of the UK? | iPlayer help.
Due to rights agreements, you need to be in the UK to stream and download programmes or watch BBC TV channels on BBC iPlayer.
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Streaming from outside the UK using a VPN has been theoretically illegal for a long time. Broadcasters buy lots of material for broadcast from various content providers. Those providers impose restrictions on the broadcaster including what territories that content can be broadcast to. It is the responsibility of the broadcaster to adhere to the terms. Its debatable whether watching BBC content overseas via a VPN is strictly speaking illegal. The law seems to revolve around possession of a TV license, or having an exemption. It’s debatable whether a person streaming BBC content over a VPN from a location outside the UK could be prosecuted under the law. That’s why I say ‘theoretically’.
The statement from the BBC about needing to be in the UK to view content is true, but only because of the restrictions placed upon the BBC by content providers. The law may not back that up.
I doubt they’d bother. But of course the artists involved need to be reassured, which is the main reason for the restrictions.
They wouldn’t bother trying to prosecute individuals, but they would if someone was then distributing that content in any way. But that sort of thing I think comes under a different set of laws which would be much easier to enforce.
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