It's quite a serious, grim look at an infamous event, but such is the amount of drama, intrigue, USSR secrets and processes it includes, and the fact that it is only a short series, everybody needs to know how to watch Chernobyl online.
Coming out pretty much straight after Game of Thrones' infamous final season in 2019, it took the TV world by storm and received near-unprecedented levels of critical acclaim. So much so that it actually overtook the usual behemoths at the top of popular ranking websites after only a couple of episodes, and it has established itself as another unmissable TV program of recent years. Putting it simply, it may not be an 'enjoyable' series in the traditional sense, or particularly cheery, but you need to watch Chernobyl online now.
The mini-series - only five episodes, so it's a short binge - brilliantly retells the story of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. From the night of the disaster to its actual occurrence, and from the horrible effects it had on people and the surrounding landscape, to the political machinations of the Soviet Union that tried to contain and suppress the event, and all with accurately horrifying realism. What results is a short series full of intrigue, tension, drama and grimness, all based on historical facts - themselves equally morbidly interesting. Much of the latter only coming to light years after the event following decades of obfuscation and cover-ups. It's a gripping series that'll long be regarded in the top echelons of TV, so you need to know how to watch Chernobyl online.
Luckily, through the glories of modern technology, you can stream Chernobyl from anywhere in the world, and it's far easier than you may think. By employing the use of a VPN you can watch Chernobyl online from anywhere. More info is on these below, but they are very handy in using the internet to veil your location and to access everything as you would normally, or under the guise of being from a different country for a while.
Whatever you choose below, all the options can be up and running in minutes, too, ensuring there's no deal, long contracts or bloated fees. We'll provide you with the best value and easiest ways to stream Chernobyl online.
Watch Chernobyl online in the USA
$14.99 a month at HBO
Much like another relatively big show of recent years, the obvious thing is that Chernobyl is an HBO show. This means, rather obviously, the best way to watch Chernobyl online is by getting an HBO subscription by hook or by crook. While you may think that just going straight the HBO-shaped source but we seriously think that the best value you can get is to add HBO onto an existing package - the latter being in the form of a Hulu pack. That Hulu pack will start out life at $5.99 a month and the HBO add-on is then $14.99. The value in this is the sheer quantity of movies and boxsets you'll get. This setup, and using Hulu, in particular, is our favorite way of getting bang for buck in streaming, second only to Netflix. Plus, this arrangement is not constrained by a time-based contract so you can always lose HBO once you're done.
If you're out of the US and like this option, don't forget your VPN options above to give you access like a US user would, or to give you access if you're from the US and on the go. If you're looking for pure convenience then you could check it out via Amazon so you can get it there - for not as good value, in all honesty - if you prefer running things through your Amazon account.
Watch Chernobyl online in Canada
$19.98 a month at Crave
For our Canadian readers, the best option for you is Crave. You will have to go for the dual-wield approach though, by bagging the standard $9.99 a month package and then adding the 'Movies + HBO' package for another $9.99 a month to get be fully able to watch Chernobyl online.
Of course, you might want to try the VPN options if you're on the move or unable to access due to pesky geography.
Watch Chernobyl online in the UK
From £8.99 a month at Now TV
For UK readers Now TV provides the best short-term option for watching Chernobyl online as you can get a 7-day free trial followed by a monthly cost of £8.99 which will give you access to a considerable amount of content. Word of warning: if you want to get the top 1080p resolution that Now TV offers, because, you know, it's the year 2020, then you'll have to bite the bullet and pay a few quid more for the pleasure.
However, you could certainly consider deploying a VPN available to you if you like the US option above or if you're away from your regular services for some reason.
Stream Chernobyl online in Australia
From $49 a month at Foxtel
The best native option for Australian readers is a Foxtel subscription. You can start with the $49 a month bundle to get access to Chernobyl, but there is a $59 a month deal which bags you Netflix as well - instead of $86. Alternatively, Chernobyl is also available on Binge for $10 a month.
But, by far the best value option for those in Australia is to go the VPN route to get yourself the best value.
How to watch Chernobyl online from anywhere else
Via an Express VPN sub from just $6.67/£5.50 a month
The above options do generally provide the best, native options for each of those countries, but if you're either somewhere on the planet away from your own subs, or like the look of another country's option, then using a VPN to bag yourself a US Hulu package with the HBO add-on is going to be a terrific, near-best option.
A VPN - Virtual Private Network - is a veil for your PC and internet 'address' that will make you appear as if you're in a different country, enabling you to access content without geographical limitations or license restrictions.
Having tested VPN's enough to know those that are best VPN for gaming as well as what's best VPN for Netflix, we feel well placed enough to recommend ExpressVPN as our favorite, but also one of the outright best ones to get. It has a large selection of reliable server locations to dial into, and it has great security and privacy options.
Here's how to get set up within minutes using ExpressVPN to watch Chernobyl online:
1: Get a cheap VPN installed. ExpressVPN offers great value generally, but there's currently a great offer on which gets you three months FREE on a 12-month package, saving you 49%. ExpressVPN works on a wide range of devices so compatibility will not be a problem, and it is real easy to use.
2: Connect to a US server. Choose a US server to connect to so you'll have the easiest ride to US-based services and sites.
3: Then head over to Hulu. This is when you can just shop 'as normal': pick your service, sign up, add that HBO add-on, and you'll be away.
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Rob is the Deputy Editor of sister site, TechRadar Gaming, and has been in the games and tech industry for years. Prior to a recent stint as Gaming Editor at WePC, Rob was the Commissioning Editor for Hardware at GamesRadar+, and was on the hardware team for more than four years, since its inception in late 2018. He is also a writer on games and has had work published over the last six years or so at the likes of Eurogamer, RPS, PCGN, and more. He is also a qualified landscape and garden designer, so does that in his spare time, while he is also an expert on the virtual landscapes and environments of games and loves to write about them too, including in an upcoming book on the topic!