Watching your favorite sports game has never been easier. Streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and YouTube TV have made watching sports games super easy and convenient. It's alright if you're busy with your everyday activities. These streaming services allow you to stream your favorite sports match to enjoy it later at your convenience.
However, none of it is as promising as it looks. If you're a regular streamer, you'll know that blackouts and other streaming interruptions are quite common with all these streaming services. Needless to say, blackouts can be extremely irritating, especially when you're enjoying your favorite sports match.
Now the question is, how to avoid blackouts and have a smooth streaming experience? Is it possible? Fortunately, the answer is yes. It's possible to avoid blackouts and frankly, quite simple too. Here's what you need to do:
Try Troubleshooting
Let's get back to basics. What do you do when your device lags or when an application doesn't work properly? You reinstall the application or restart your device. Isn't that correct? It goes without saying that troubleshooting always helps. Well, the same could be tried with streaming interruptions, especially when sports games continue to buffer.
The first thing that you need to know is that streaming interruptions like blackouts and continuous buffering are often a result of poor internet connection. Thus, restarting your Wi-Fi can help. In case that doesn't work, we suggest you try a wired internet connection. While many people won't agree, the good old wired internet connection is significantly more stable compared to a wireless network.
Of course, it will disturb your telephone line for a while but it won't last forever. You can use a wired internet connection to stream the sports game you like and when done, you can unplug the Ethernet cable and switch to Wi-Fi again. A speedy internet connection can help avoid streaming blackouts and buffering issues, so ditching Wi-Fi and using Ethernet cables could be helpful.
Use a VPN
One of the most common problems you encounter when streaming a sports match or television show is blackouts. The primary cause of streaming blackouts is geo-blocking. Streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, all have different libraries for different regions. Not to mention, they don’t operate worldwide and are only active in selected countries. One reason you may be experiencing blackouts while streaming a sports game is geo-blocking.
The sports game you’re trying to stream may not be available in your region. Thankfully, the given issue can be fixed. What you need to do is get a VPN. Yes, a VPN or a similar service can help you access BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services. It works by hiding your IP address and changing your digital location, tricking the streaming service into believing that you’re in a different region.
In this way, it helps you stream all the content that’s blocked in your region, including your favorite sports games. Just be sure to find the right VPN as there are plenty of them available these days, so finding the best one could be an overwhelming process. Once you have a VPN, download and install it, open the streaming service, and stream your favorite sports game.
Don't Ignore Your Web Browser
Last but not least, please don't forget to check your web browser whenever you come across streaming blackouts or lagging. It is not geo-blocking or slow internet that causes such streaming interruptions all the time. Sometimes, it's your web browser that's malfunctioning. Of course, not all web browsers are as effective as others. When streaming sports games, we suggest you stick to Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge. These three web browsers are the most stable ones; therefore, they're great for streaming purposes.
Furthermore, in case the lagging continues, go to your web browser's settings and clear cache and cookies. It's a simple step that requires merely a few clicks and it can fix pretty much all the problems related to the web browser, including lagging and streaming blackouts. To spruce up the web browser a bit more, we suggest you delete the browsing history altogether. If anything, it will improve your web browser's speed and subsequently, improve your streaming experience.
There's nothing better than streaming your favorite sports game and watching it in the comfort of your home. Of course, blackouts are annoying but you can fix them by following the tips mentioned above. In other words, you don't have to worry about streaming interruption anymore. Enjoy!
