How To Watch Top Gear Online
How To Watch Top Gear Online
If you love cars, then you’re probably an avid fan of Top Gear as well. The first episode of Top Gear aired in 2002 and featured Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond testing some of the world’s most famous vehicles.
From everyday drivers to the epitome of exotic luxury, hypercars, and supercars, the duo tested whether or not these cars lived up to their reputation by putting them through strenuous tests, racing them, and performing other noteworthy tests.
Over time, the duo added several other drivers and reviewers to their roster, and the British-based show became a global sensation. After a few short years, Top Gear was one of the top-rated car shows in the entire world.
Today, Top Gear is still alive and well, and has expanded into numerous countries. The only question that remains is, “How do you watch Top Gear online?”
For the longest time, Top Gear was aired on either BBC (as it was a British television show) or the MotorTrend channel. Today, however, cable television is nowhere near as popular as it once was, and many people rely completely on streaming services to keep up with all of their favorite shows.
So, without further ado, here’s how to watch Top Gear online, no matter where you are in the world!
Top Gear vs. Top Gear USA
The original Top Gear was set in the UK, and part of its major appeal was the British accents narrating the experience of driving some insanely fast cars. While the original Top Gear UK is still thriving, the show’s popularity in the US resulted in the launch of Top Gear USA.
Top Gear USA follows the same principles as Top Gear UK but features a different cast and tests different vehicles. Instead of focusing on European vehicles (which many US consumers can’t appreciate as much), Top Gear USA focuses on vehicles that are widely available in North America. Top Gear USA also features non-car vehicles such as UTVs, ATVs, dune buggies, and more!
Where To Watch The Original Top Gear
If you’re a fan of the original UK-based Top Gear, then you’ll have two places to watch it, depending on where you live.
BBC iPlayer
If you live in the UK, then you should be able to find Top Gear UK listed on BBC’s iPlayer. The show is regularly aired on the BBC channel. However, if you don’t have a cable subscription, then you can sign up for BBC’s iPlayer streaming platform. This will allow you to keep up with all of your favorite BBC shows and several movies as well.
That being said, BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK. If you live outside of the UK, then you’ll need to use a VPN such as CyberGhost VPN to change your IP and access iPlayer’s content.
Amazon Prime Video
If you live in the United States, then you can watch most of the original Top Gear seasons with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. The streaming service only costs about $8/month for the base plan, making it relatively affordable. Currently, seasons 0, 2-6, 10-15, 23-25, and a number of Top Gear UK specials are available for streaming on Prime Video.
Sure, it’s not the whole collection, but it’s good enough. If you want to watch the non-included seasons, you can purchase individual episodes (or the entire season) with your Prime account and stream them to your heart’s content.
Where To Watch Top Gear USA
Top Gear USA is officially licensed by the MotorTrend channel. This means you’ll either need to have a streaming platform with the MotorTrend add-on or a subscription to MotorTrend On Demand.
Hulu With Live TV Subscription
If you have an existing Hulu account, then you can add a subscription to MotorTrend onto your existing service for an additional $5 per month. This will allow you to view all MotorTrend titles (including Top Gear America) alongside your usual Hulu titles.
MotorTrend On Demand
If you don’t have Hulu or don’t care to sign up for a Hulu account, then you can sign up for MotorTrend’s online streaming service for just $5/month by visiting their site.
How To Watch Top Gear If It’s Blocked In Your Country
Unfortunately, the above methods only work if you live in the United States or the UK… Even if you’re a US or UK resident, you won’t be able to access the titles if you’re traveling abroad, which means that you won’t be able to keep up with the latest episodes of Top Gear UK or Top Gear America.
…That is unless you change your IP address and trick the streaming platform’s into thinking that you’re located somewhere else entirely.
This is where a VPN (virtual private network) comes in handy. Whenever you connect your device to a VPN server, you’ll be able to mask your real IP address and route all of your internet traffic through a server located in another region, thus giving your device a foreign IP address.
This means that you could be in Australia or Japan, connect to a US or UK-based VPN server and watch Top Gear online. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to go about watching Top Gear online with a VPN.
- Download A VPN Service: First, you’ll need to download a reliable VPN service and create an account. For quick reference, here’s a list of the top 10 VPNs of 2022. If you’re on a budget, then you should also check out this list of free trial VPNs!
- Disable Your GPS Location: To ensure that your VPN works properly, you’ll need to temporarily disable your device’s GPS location feature. This ensures that the streaming platform doesn’t override your VPN and use your GPS location instead.
- Activate Your VPN and Connect To A US or UK-Based Server: Now, depending on whether you’re trying to watch Top Gear UK or Top Gear America, you’ll need to connect to a VPN server that’s located in the United States or the UK.
- Log Into Your Chosen Streaming Service: Now that your device has an IP address associated with the US or the UK, you can log into your chosen streaming service and stream Top Gear as you would in your home country!
Conclusion
If you’re a fan of Top Gear’s high-octane thrills and hilarious interpretations of top-performing cars, then you probably won’t want to go without the show during your travels. By following the steps outlined above, you’ll be able to watch Top Gear online, no matter where you are in the world!
