Many students spending a year in Israel like to keep up with their favorite NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or college sports teams and view live sport streaming in Israel. Some watch live sports at one of the restaurants or bars on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, although many choose to watch the games alone or with friends in the comfort of their dorm or hotel room. With the right technology, the internet is their best answer for watching the latest American sports games in Israel – live.

What Do I Need in Order to Watch a Live Sport Streaming in Israel?

There are several options one can choose from order to view live stream sports games in Israel. However, there are three basic requirements needed: Internet, Device, and an online venue.

1. Unlimited High Speed Internet Service in Israel

   

The basic requirement is a reliable, unlimited  high-speed internet service in Israel. The ideal situation is to have a good DSL connection, but most students do not have access to unlimited DSL internet connections in their dorm rooms and they resort to using their mobile device data package for internet. That being said, effectively all of Israel’s cell providers “throttle” (slow down the speed of the download), which interferes with watching a live broadcast. The internet speed after usage of 3-5 GB, is clearly not enough to watch games in addition to the regular data usage. (Some providers do offer packages up to 5 GB or 10 GB of data, which may be enough for some.) NES Mobile offers students and other long-term renters a pocket Wi-Fi device with totally unlimited data.

“We usually see a major surge in data consumption on Sunday nights, carrying over to early Monday morning when we opt to watch NFL games”, says Avigdor Factor, co-founder of NES Mobile.

“During the NBA playoffs, we even had customers whose monthly data consumption was as high as 50 GB, due to the intensity and frequency of the games.”

NES Mobile also offers plans for those who are visiting Israel on a short-term basis, for a few days or weeks.

2. Device – A PC, Mac, Smartphone or Tablet

Whether you have a laptop in your dorm room, or a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, (most students in Israel have at least one of these devices), with access to DSL, games can be watched on virtually any device.

3. Online Site and Venues to Watch Games

Some games are available online for all to watch and enjoy. However, often, due to broadcasting regulations, networks are restricted and are only allowed to show sports content on the internet in the United States and US Territories.

There are a few solutions, which are usually divided into two categories: Viewers who pay for subscription services or solutions for viewers who opt to watch for free. NOTE: We’re only covering the technology aspects and will not address the legal/regulatory issue which is complex and varies greatly depending on content and country.

a. Using a Slingbox in Israel

Slingbox allows you to view cable TV (from the USA) on any device. A Slingbox needs to be located with someone you know who has a residence in the US with a local cable subscription. With a Slingbox, you can watch all the channels the person who has the Slingbox has access to – from anywhere in the world. This applies not only to watching live football games for free, but to any other show or channel your host has access to.

b. A Paid Subscription to Sports Leagues

Most websites of major US sports leagues offer a live streaming portal to anyone who wishes to watch online. Prices vary based on your country location, as well as the sport.Special packages are often introduced during the playoffs.

c. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and Proxies

Due to broadcasting regulations, some network’s sites are restricted and only allow access to sports content via the internet if you are in the United States and US Territories. They can restrict the content by blocking services for viewers with a foreign IP address. VPN services allow you to obtain an American IP address by routing your connection via an American VPN server. So even from outside the USA you may be able to watch USA-based TV streaming websites in Israel. The technology is similar to virtual private networks that employees often use for remote access to their office computer networks.

About NES Mobile

NES Mobile is a leading provider of Pocket WiFi mobile hotspot rentals with completely UNLIMITED service in Israel. Among the company’s clients are large news networks, American defense contractors based in Israel, as well as students and tourists visiting Israel. Many of NES Mobile‘s customers use the Pocket WiFi or MiFi devices for live sport streaming in Israel.