How to watch Sportsnet Now—wherever you are—and never miss a blackout game

What is Sportsnet NOW, and how can I watch it?

Sportsnet NOW is one of Canada’s foremost sports outlets. It connects sports fans to their favourite teams and action via TV, radio, online, and mobile, with all the best local, regional, national, and global games and matches.

This mammoth brand is the official Canadian NHL multimedia rights holder and the official regional TV broadcaster for a handful of the Candian NHL teams.

Hockey fans in Canada will know the importance of finding their regional network to gain access to in-market games as well as those out-of-market. Finding the right combination or the best option for each team’s fans to watch all games can turn into a challenge.

But not anymore. We’re going to show you how game blackouts become a thing of the past when you sign up to StreamLocator, and let us take care of that problem for you.

Sportsnet NOW is far more than just a hockey channel

We’re not going to deny it—when it comes to sport, Canadians seem to have hockey in their blood. But that doesn’t mean their love of sport ends there. When it comes to the rest of the big sports, and indeed all kinds of action from around the globe, Sportsnet NOW has them covered.

They hold rights to regional options of the Big 4 US and Canadian sports: Baseball (MLB), Hockey (NHL), Basketball (NBA), and Football (NFL).

And it doesn’t stop there. There’s auto racing, cycling, curling, golf, tennis, soccer, MMA and Bellator, as well as Olympic coverage and a selection of sports specials.

On top of cable and satellite channels, viewers can log into Sportsnet NOW’s online content, streaming all the live-action as well as masses of on-demand programming.

The only problem is that you have to be in Canada to catch all the action—but not with StreamLocator. StreamLocator allows you to access Sportsnet NOW from anywhere in the world, and even better, it bypasses all of the annoying blackouts, whoever your favourite teams are.

StreamLocator fixes the blackout issue for everyone

For all hockey fans in the US and Canada (and football, baseball, and basketball fans), you already know how finding the channels and networks you need to access both out-of-market and in-market games can be a tricky affair—and a costly one at that.

Content providers use geo-location tracking to limit hockey fans’ streams in a very similar way to how they monitor their cable and satellite subscribers. Geo-location tracking allows each service to pinpoint precisely where their viewers are and limit the games they see to their relevant broadcasters—or block them altogether—all according to licencing arrangements.

StreamLocator takes care of those blocks by providing subscribers with virtual locations, granting unrestricted access to every game and match in each system.

How can I watch Sportsnet NOW with StreamLocator?

If you subscribe to any of the satellite and cable packages that cover the Sportsnet NOW channels, you can log in to Sportsnet NOW using your existing account details. For cable cutters and standalone users, SN NOW delivers access to all that sporting goodness direct via their website or selecting apps for all kinds of devices and systems.

If you’re outside Canada, though, Sportsnet NOW will block you from the action—whether you’ve got an appropriate account of not.

To get around their geo-location blocks, StreamLocator provides its subscribers with a virtual Canadian location giving the Sportsnet NOW servers just what they need to open up all that wonderful content.

And, seeing how StreamLocator provides the virtual locations you need, you’re never going to be in the wrong region for any of the blackout games. Ever.

No complicated settings or software installation required

VPN and Smart DNS provide similar workarounds to geo-location blocks but are becoming easier to spot, with many failing to provide their subscribers with the seamless access they need.

Another nuisance feature of the VPNs and Smart DNS providers is that they require their subscribers to download software or apps to every device they plan to stream content. Then they’ve got to remember to switch them on and choose an appropriate location.

StreamLocator does away with all that. Because it works in tandem with your WiFi router, it automatically includes every device on your network. When you connect to each service, it automatically contacts its server to provide the best connection option. You don’t have to lift a finger!

How to watch Sportsnet NOW from outside Canada

With your virtual Canadian location in place, provided by your StreamLocator smart hub, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the action.

We’ve cracked all kinds of streaming services, so if you or anyone in your household wants to watch one of the other geo-blocked services—ranging from Hulu, ESPN, BBC, or even the alternative Netflix and Amazon Prime TV catalogues from all over the world—then they can watch those too.

Our smart hub doesn’t limit the number of connections you use at any given time either; if you want to access them all at once, on every device in the house—you can!

How to register for Sportsnet NOW from outside Canada

Sportsnet NOW has 2 subscription tier options. SN NOW and SN NOW+. The SN NOW+ option grants access to the regional NHL games covered by blackouts, so if you need that, you’ll pay a premium. That said, with StreamLocator, you don’t need to, so the standard subs could cover all the action you need.

SN NOW+ offers a 7-day pass for $9.99 US, a monthly pass at $34.99 US, and a yearly pass at $20.83 US/month.

SN NOW doesn’t have a 7-day pass; its monthly passes will set you back $19.99 US, and its yearly pass only $12.50 US/month.

For subscribers having issues paying for Sportsnet NOW via credit card, switch over to the Canadian Apple App or Google Play store. You can use the in-app payment options to set up your subscription using a Canadian PayPal account or native Giftcard.

Do you need a VPN or DNS to watch Sportsnet NOW from outside Canada?

Admittedly, VPN and Smart DNS have been the most popular way of getting around the geo-blocks for quite some time. However, because they’re such well-known workarounds, the streaming services are heavily invested in finding ways to prevent them from accessing their services.

Because our StreamLocator smart hub communicates with the streaming services’ servers, it automatically detects the best ways to connect to them, providing viewers with an efficient and seamless connection. It’s so good; you won’t even know it’s doing it.

How to unblock Sportsnet NOW

When you take delivery of your StreamLocator smart hub, connection is simple. Plug it into your WiFi router, and it only takes a few simple steps to activate your account subscription—that’s it. You’ll find a new network on your WiFi list—STREAMLOCATOR—and all that’s left to do is connect your devices to that instead of your usual option.

StreamLocator does the rest. It automatically connects to each streaming service using the best location option and connection type. Just how we think it should be.

Does StreamLocator allow me to watch Sportsnet NOW for free?

We discussed the Sportsnet NOW subscriptions earlier, and they will always stand however you choose to connect to the service. StreamLocator will provide you with a seamless connection, but it won’t bypass your payment gateway.

Popular sports shows on Sportsnet NOW

• Hockey Night in Canada
• NHL on Sportsnet
• Tim & Friends
• MLB Baseball
• TSN Hockey
• Hockey Central
• Sportsnet Central
• Toronto Blue Jays on Sportsnet
• Soccer Central
• NBA Basketball
• FA Women’s Super League
• WWE NXT
• WWE Monday Night Raw
• WWE SmackDown Live
• NRL Rugby
• Premiership Rugby
• SLR Super League Rugby
• BUND Soccer
• FA Cup Soccer