In this article I will show you how to watch Hulu in NZ. It’s simple and will only take 5 minutes.
The streaming market is limited here in NZ. We have access to excellent international services such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ but other massive streaming services like Hulu haven’t made it here.
Which means we’re missing out on some of the best film and TV shows on the market. Luckily, there’s a way to unlock streaming services from other countries. In this article, I am going to show you how you can watch Hulu in NZ.
The process is straightforward, and will give you full access to Hulu (not a pirate version of Hulu) and all of its content from the comfort of your NZ home.
How to watch Hulu in NZ: Guide
Total Time: 2 minutes
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Create a new account with a VPN
To watch Hulu in New Zealand, you need a VPN because Hulu restricts its content to the United States. A VPN helps you bypass these geographical restrictions by masking your actual location, allowing you to access Hulu from New Zealand.
There are many VPNs out there that you can use, however from our experience the best VPNs for watching Hulu in New Zealand are ExpressVPN and NordVPN. We use these daily and don’t have any issues when watching Hulu in New Zealand.
If you don’t opt for these VPNs, don’t worry, the process is exactly the same for all VPNs.
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Download and install the new VPN app
Once you’ve signed up for a VPN you can install it on nearly any device.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN is available on Mac, Linux, Chromebook, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Kindle, Amazon Fire Stick/TV, Chromecast, Nintendo Switch, Android TV and more.
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Open your new app and connect to a US server
To access Hulu in New Zealand, you need to make the streaming service think you’re accessing it from within the US. To do that you need to change your New Zealand IP address into a US IP address.
Connecting to a US server on your VPN will allow you to do this. Now you’ll be able to access the Hulu platform in New Zealand.
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Create an account if you don’t have one (more below)
Creating an account for Hulu in New Zealand can be tricky, however we’ve figured out a way to do it. You can see our video guide on how to make a Hulu account outside the US below.
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Watch Hulu in NZ
Once you’ve made an account you’ll be able to watch Hulu on any device in New Zealand. Just always ensure you’re connected to a US server on your chosen VPN.
How to make a Hulu account in New Zealand
Is Hulu available in NZ?
Hulu is not available in NZ because of content licensing. It does not have the rights to stream its content in NZ, so it blocks NZ users. It does this by identifying and geo-blocking IP addresses.
Whenever you go online, you use an IP address. IP addresses contain information that defines where you are in the world when you connect to the internet. It’s a lot like an area code on a landline phone number.
When you connect to Hulu, it scans your IP address and ascertains where you are connecting from. If you are not in the US, your IP address will be blocked and you won’t be able to use Hulu.
To get around these geo-blocks, you need to fool Hulu into thinking that you are connecting from within the US. This is what VPNs do.
Why do you need a VPN to watch Hulu in NZ?
If you try and watch Hulu in NZ, you will run into an error that says “we’re sorry currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States.” This error is coming up because Hulu is a region-locked, US-based streaming service.
Hulu will only work with American IP addresses, and by using a VPN, you can spoof your NZ IP address (using end-to-end encryption) to make it appear as if you’re browsing the web from the US.
In theory anyway. In reality, Hulu is able to block some low-end VPNs from connecting to its servers, so we advise using a high-end VPN such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN Check out our article on Hulu not working with VPN to learn more.
Which VPNs work with Hulu in New Zealand?
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | PIA | Ivacy | CyberGhost | |
| Hulu | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Download Speed | 79 Mbps | 71 Mbps | 27 Mbps | 31 Mbps | 41 Mbps |
| Throttling | 79% | 71% | 27% | 31% | 41% |
| Stream quality | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Price per month | $6.66 | $3.79 | $2.03 | $1.00 | $2.19 |
How does a VPN allow you to watch Hulu in NZ?
The primary way that Hulu blocks you from viewing its content outside of the US is by identifying your IP address. The best way to spoof your IP address is to use a high-end (end-to-end encrypted) VPN.
When you use a VPN to watch Hulu in NZ, all you need to do is select a server based in the US, and you will be assigned a US IP address.
This will fool Hulu’s geo-blocking technology and make it look like you connect to the internet from inside US borders.
You will no longer receive the “we’re sorry currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States,” error and the service will be available to you. You will now be able to stream the entire Hulu library from NZ.
The VPN services we recommend for watching Hulu in New Zealand
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
The fastest and most reliable VPN of 2024
- ✔160 servers in 94 countries
- ✔24/7 Live Chat
- ✔8 simultaneous connections
- ✔New Apple TV app
- ✔30-day money-back guarantee
- ❌Expensive
- ❌No Password Manager
- ❌No Meshnet
- ❌No Dedicated IP
Streaming: ExpressVPN has been the best VPN for several years. What makes it better than the competition is its reliability with streaming services.
Servers: ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs in this regard, with servers based in 94 countries around the world. This is well above the 71-country average and is second only to HMA’s massive 218 supported countries.
Privacy: For privacy-conscious users, ExpressVPN also opens itself up to regular, and rigorous, third-party zero-log audits to prove its claims. You can find out a detailed list, and the results, of its Security Audits here.
Price: ExpressVPN has three payment options, a 1-month option costing $12.95/month, a 6-month option costing $9.99/month or a 12-month option costing $6.67/month. It accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and a variety of other payment systems.
Speeds: Below is a table that gives you an idea of the percentage drop-off you can expect when using ExpressVPN. From our tests, we got a 12-15% drop – which is very good from our test location (New Zealand).
| Download Speeds (Mbps) | Upload Speeds (Mbps) | |
| No VPN (New Zealand) | 937.07 | 520.93 |
| ExpressVPN US server | 824.62 | 6.96 |
| ExpressVPN UK server | 794.95 | 3.70 |
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. NordVPN $3.19/month
An incredibly fast and trustworthy VPN
- ✔Fast connection speeds
- ✔5,500+ servers in 59 countries
- ✔6 simultaneous connections
- ✔Free Meshnet + Password Manager
- ❌No free version
- ❌Complex interface for beginners
Streaming: NordVPN is great for accessing streaming services, with top-notch security, fast connections, and easy access to geo-blocked shows and movies.
Servers: NordVPN has servers in 60 countries. While this is low compared to the 71 country average, the servers it has are very fast and reliable.
Privacy: NordVPN emphasises its commitment to user privacy by consistently undergoing independent audits to validate its no-logs policy. Detailed reports and findings from these security audits are readily accessible for users seeking transparency and assurance.
Price: NordVPN provides several payment options for its standard package: a monthly plan at $12.99, a yearly plan at $4.99/month per month, and a two-year plan at $3.19/month. You can also opt for other packages that come with added features like Malware Protection, AdBlocker, a Cross-Platform Password Manager, a Data Breach Scanner, 1TB of Cloud Storage and file encryption software.
Speeds: Below is a table that gives you an idea of the speeds you can expect when using NordVPN:
| Download Speeds (Mbps) | Upload Speeds (Mbps) | |
| VPN off (New Zealand) | 937.07 | 520.93 |
| ExpressVPN US server | 824.62 | 6.96 |
| ExpressVPN UK server | 794.95 | 3.70 |
Read our full NordVPN review.
Special Offer for you!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. Private Internet Access $2.03/month
An affordable, reliable VPN
- ✔Robust AES-256 encryption
- ✔Over 35,000 servers globally
- ✔Built-in ad and malware blocking
- ✔10 simultaneous connections
- ❌Can have slower speeds
- ❌Basic app interface
4. Ivacy $1.00/month
A trustworthy and affordable VPN
- ✔Cost-effective pricing
- ✔Intuitive app design
- ✔Strict no browsing logs policy
- ✔Allows up to 10 simultaneous connections
- ❌Smaller server network compared to others
- ❌Lacks some advanced settings
- ❌Basic live chat support
5. CyberGhost $2.19/month
A solid VPN package
- ✔Supports 7 devices simultaneously
- ✔Strong encryption standards
- ✔Large selection of servers
- ✔Generous 45-day money-back guarantee
- ❌Variable connection speeds
- ❌Pricier than some rivals
What is Hulu?
Hulu is a US based on-demand streaming service. With 39 million subscribers, it’s one of the largest streaming platforms in the US.It has a library of almost 3,000 movies and has over 40,000 episodes from thousands of different TV shows.There are three tiers of Hulu that you can purchase:
- Hulu (ad-supported plan) costs USD$5.99/month
- Hulu (No Ads) costing USD$11.99/month
- Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV costing USD$70.99/month
It also allows you to purchase addons like HBO Max (USD$14.99/month), Showtime (USD$10.99/month), and Cinemax (USD$9.99/month)
What devices is Hulu available on?
- Android phones and tablets
- Android TV
- Apple TV (4th generation or later)
- Chromecast
- Echo Show
- Fire Tablets
- Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
- iPhones and iPads
- LG TV
- Nintendo Switch
- Mac and PC browsers/apps
- PlayStation
- Roku
- Samsung TV
- Xbox
