American soccer fans turn to VPNs to dodge the World Cup's hydration break ads

Date:
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Description:
Americans hate hydration break ads and are massively turning to VPNs to avoid them, says Planet VPN.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter US football fans turned to VPNs to avoid hydration break ads Planet VPN saw a 57 per cent surge on the first day of the World Cup A VPN lets you access international coverage of games
VPN downloads in the US have surged as football fans seek ways to enjoy the World Cup without being interrupted by 'hydration break' ads, according to
the latest data from Planet VPN.

Introduced this year by FIFA, hydration breaks have significantly altered the football tournament's viewing experience, with fans around the world complaining online that the interruptions are heavily disrupting the momentum during matches. But whilst in the UK broadcasters use these minutes to
provide tactical analysis of the games or to show players taking a breather, in the US viewers are forced to sit through minutes of non-stop adverts.

Desperate to have a smoother experience, Americans have massively turned to the best VPN apps to watch international live broadcasts instead. Norton VPN MEGA deal

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VPN recorded a staggering 57% spike in downloads just on the opening day of the tournament. Its new users on iOS almost doubled, while premium subscriptions in the US more than tripled since the tournament began. You may like Best VPN for soccer streams: watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup securely with these expert-tested streaming VPNs perfect for live sports New X-VPN's soccer servers are designed to do one thing get you to a World Cup stream faster
Why your streaming app detects your VPN and how to avoid it for the World
Cup 2026

Perhaps unsurprisingly, downloads peaked at +343% on 19 June precisely the same day as the match between the US and Australia.

For Konstantin Levinzon, co-founder of Planet VPN, it is obvious that
football fans are turning away from Foxs lengthy ad breaks to tune in to international broadcasters, where interruptions are filled by experts such as Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney.

It is a huge business for US television: according to a recent BBC report , these adverts could generate over 189 million. However, fans seem to hate them, especially when broadcasters interrupt the live coverage for ads and only return after the match has started, as Fox did during the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.

Needless to say, a virtual private network (VPN) is a huge asset in such situations. It allows you to route your internet traffic through servers located all over the world to bypass geographical restrictions that would otherwise prevent you from accessing local streaming platforms.

This way, no matter where you are, you can access your preferred coverage and watch ad-free content on BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK, SBS on Demand in Australia, or RTE Player in Ireland streaming football exactly as if you
were in a London or Dublin pub. What to read next Should I use a VPN to watch the World Cup? How a free YouTube channel is using the World Cup to destroy the broadcaster paywall 7 in 10 World Cup football fans are ready to put
their digital privacy at risk, warns ExpressVPN

And lets not forget that VPNs encrypt your browsing data and protect it from cybercriminals. Levinzon reminds users to choose a VPN by taking certain specific features into account: "We always recommend choosing a VPN provider that doesn't track users without consent or keep logs of their activity, sticking to trusted, legal streaming services to keep your data secure." The perfect World Cup ally VPNs are the perfect companion for the World Cup . In the US, for example, where most games sit behind a paywall, VPNs enable viewers to virtually travel to other countries where the same matches are
free to watch.

Additionally, streaming demand places high strain on servers during major matches, when millions of fans log in at the same time, causing ISP peering issues, network congestion, and mid-match buffering. If you use a VPN, you
are basically leaving the data traffic jam everyone else is stuck in for a smoother experience.

Furthermore, VPN speeds are further optimised via modern protocols such as WireGuard, while additionally offering a wide range of traffic routing and speed optimisation features.

The icing on the cake? You can access commentaries from all over the world from Brazil to Turkey to India. Their locations will affect their perspective and focus, hopefully making your experience even richer. Today's best VPN deals NordVPN 2 Year 2.59 /mth View +3 months free Surfshark 24 Months 1.49 /mth View Proton VPN 24 Month 2.39 /mth View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/american-soccer-fans-turn-t o-vpns-to-dodge-the-world-cups-hydration-break-ads


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