Hulu is a streaming service that launched in 2008, and it currently has a subscription base of 32.1 million users. It’s a joint venture between 21st Century Fox, Disney, NBC Universal (Comcast) and Warner Media (AT&T).
It’s one of the US’s biggest streaming services and is similar to Netflix and Amazon, with its own library of TV shows and movies. The big question is, can I watch Hulu in NZ?
Introduction
There are lots of streaming services out there where you can watch hundreds of TV shows and movies. The only problem is that many of these services cannot be viewed outside of the US, for example, Hulu in NZ.
This can be frustrating for those of us living in NZ, where you have no way of watching your favourite American TV shows or others that you hear so much about.
Hulu Plus is one of these, and you will struggle to view this outside the US without a VPN. We will share with you the details of Hulu Plus and how you can access Hulu in NZ.
- What is Hulu Plus?
- What is a VPN?
- What Are the Best VPNs To Watch Hulu Plus in NZ?
- How To Access Hulu Plus?
What Is Hulu Plus?
Hulu is entirely free of charge to watch; however, it has limited content compared to Hulu Plus. With Hulu Plus, you can watch all TV shows and the back catalogue of previous episodes if you want to start a series from the very beginning.
Hulu Plus also gives you access to all-original shows, and they’re increasing the offering by investing in more original shows. These shows include; The Handmaid’s Tale, Normal People and Castle Rock.
You can watch feature-length movies on Hulu Plus, but you won’t find new box office releases. However, if you are looking for classic movies such as; The Bourne Trilogy or Pretty Woman, you’re on to a winner.
There are three Hulu Plus plans to choose from:
Hulu Plus
You can subscribe to the basic package for just $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. This gives you access to all TV shows and movies available.
Hulu Plus (No Ads)
This package offers the same as the basic plan but removes all adverts and allows you to download content to watch offline when you’re on the go. This package will cost $11.99 per month.
Hulu + Live TV
With this package, you benefit from no adverts and all the TV shows and movies in the other plans. However, you also get to watch live TV, with over 65 channels to view. You can also record live TV to watch later, with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage. This package will cost $64.99 per month.
What Is a VPN?
A VPN (virtual private network) gives you access to another network over the internet with a secure connection. They were originally used to connect business networks, but today are used for so much more.
If you are at a coffee shop and are using their free wifi, the worry is that prying eyes and hackers can see exactly what you are doing online.
If you connect to a VPN, your data traffic is encrypted, and your IP address and identity are hidden.
Once you install their software, a VPN provider also gives you a choice to connect to any of their worldwide servers. When you select a particular country by choosing a VPN server located there, the VPN changes your visual IP address so you can access the internet as if you live in that location.
How does this help me to watch Hulu in NZ? I hear you ask. Easy, you would connect to a VPN adding your location as the US, which bypasses any geographic restrictions.
You can then watch your favourite shows as if you were sitting in a living room in the US, rather than at home in NZ.
These are just some of the benefits of a VPN. There are many more:
- A secure connection, wherever you are.
- Your identity and internet traffic are safe when using public wifi.
- Bypass geographic restrictions allowing access to regional content.
- Secure data transfer when working remotely.
Some VPNs are available for free—however, there are many limitations with these options. They will give you a great insight into how VPNs work if you have never used one before. They only offer limited data usage and may have geographical restrictions also.
A paid VPN is a better option if you will be using it regularly. These give you unlimited data and enhanced security protection.
What Are the Best VPNs To Watch Hulu Plus in NZ?
Our top three selection of VPNs to watch Hulu in NZ would be NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark.
These offer high-quality service with enhanced privacy and security settings. They give you everything you need to watch your favourite American streaming services from anywhere in the world.
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most popular VPNs out there, and it offers excellent value for money. It has over 5400 servers in 59 countries and 5000 IP addresses to connect to. This allows you to access websites in almost every country with no issues.
It gives you a speedy connection and can be used on most platforms, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux, with ease. It has a simple, easy-to-use interface and has 24/7 customer service via a live chat. You are also able to connect up to six devices at once to the VPN.
The headquarters for NordVPN is in Panama, which is considered a privacy-friendly country. They have a policy that no data logs are kept and offer a kill switch security feature, which prevents data from leaking.
NordVPN is not the cheapest option, and it doesn’t offer a free version. If you pay monthly, it would cost you $11.95 per month. However, the cost does reduce with a fixed contract. If you sign up for a two-year plan and pay upfront, you would pay only $3.71 per month.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a reliable, speedy VPN that has servers in 94 countries. It offers over 30,000 IP addresses from 3000 servers to allow you to connect to websites from all over the world securely.
It offers a one-click connection and is simple to navigate. Subscribers can use ExpressVPN on most platforms out there, and it allows you to connect to up to five devices at once.
Their headquarters are in the British Virgin Islands, which has no surveillance sharing agreements with other countries and is considered a privacy-friendly country. They have a strict policy against keeping logs of data that can personally identify a user. They also offer a kill switch feature to prevent leaks if a VPN connection fails.
ExpressVPN is slightly more expensive than NordVPN at $12.95 per month. If you sign up for an annual plan, this will give you three months free at $6.67 per month. They do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not entirely happy with the service.
Surfshark
Surfshark is a relatively new VPN, launching in 2018. However, it’s quickly establishing itself as a competitive VPN against many of its competitors. They have over 3200 servers available in 65 countries and offer impressive speeds compared to NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
As with ExpressVPN, their headquarters are in the British Virgin Islands. They frequently change the encryption keys to avoid any security compromises. They also have a kill switch to prevent data leakage if the VPN fails.
It has a fresh, intuitive interface and can be used on most platforms, with no data limits. It offers customer support 24/7 with its online chat service.
The pricing for Surfshark is competitive, and you can get it for as little as $2.49 per month when signing up for a two-year plan. They also have a six-month plan that costs $6.49 per month. However, if you were paying monthly, the cost would be more expensive at $12.95 per month.
How To Access Hulu Plus?
If you already have a Hulu Plus account, you just need to activate your VPN and select the US. You can then log on as usual and sit back and enjoy your viewing of Hulu in NZ!
If you have not already subscribed to Hulu Plus, you will require an American credit card to do this. They do not accept foreign cards to subscribe to the service.
However, there are a couple of other ways that you can subscribe without using an American credit card.
Hulu Gift Card
You can purchase a Hulu gift card from Amazon or other online retailers. This can be purchased in $25, $50 or $100 amounts. Once you have completed the purchase, you will receive an email with a code included.
Once you have received the email, go to hulu.com/gift and enter the code you received with your gift card.
Once you hit Redeem, you will be able to create an account without linking a credit card, choosing the subscription package you want. You may be required to enter a US zip code. If in any doubt, 90210 generally works. This will then allow you to watch Hulu in NZ.
US iTunes
If you have an iOS device or Apple TV, you can sign up using a US iTunes account. You should download the Hulu app and click on ‘Start a free trial’. This will then give you the options for paid plans following your free trial.
Note that this option costs more than if paying via Hulu gift cards.
You can manage your account via your subscriptions in ‘view my account’ and ‘subscriptions’ in your iTunes account.
US PayPal
If you have a US PayPal account, you can also use this to sign up for Hulu Plus.
Summary
Using a VPN is the best option to be able to watch Hulu in NZ. It will also allow you to access other streaming services and regional websites without any issues. You can be assured that your identity will be hidden, and you are watching via a secure platform no matter where you are.
All you need to do is choose the right VPN for you and then sit back, relax and enjoy watching Hulu in NZ.
Note: All prices correct at time of writing.