Channels & viewing

[Derrek67]

I receive the following error message when attempting to access the ESPN app:

Access denied. This channel is only available to users in the US.

I than click OKAY and it closes the app. 

I have tried deleting the app, restarting the device and re-adding it. This error message displays on all of my roku devices and does not seem to be a way to reauthenticate. Does not happen when I log in to the app on my phone.

[makaiguy]

Assuming you actually ARE in the USA, might you be connecting to the internet via a VPN server located out of the US?

[Derrek67]

Thanks for your reply

I am a us resident and located within the US. I utilize a local internet provider and is password protected. I do not use a VPN to access the internet on all of my devices besides my work PC which can access networks outside the US.

All other apps work so I am not sure if it is a roku issue exclusively.

[Derrek67]

Thanks for your reply

I am a us resident and located within the US. I utilize a local internet provider and is password protected. I do not use a VPN to access the internet on all of my devices besides my work PC which can access networks outside the US.

All other apps work so I am not sure if it is a roku issue exclusively.

[makaiguy]

@Derrek67-

Strange, indeed.  

Edited to add:

Re: "Does not happen when I log in to the app on my phone"..

I s this a separate ESPN app on your phone?  Going to the ESPN website via a browser on your phone?  Your ESPN account on the ESPN website?

Also, If you are using your phone's data connection rather than wifi, you're not connecting the same way as using your home network, so results may not be comparable.

[Derrek67]

I am using the espn app on my phone and my phone is on my wifi. My friend who is in the same area code is also experiencing this same error message when attempting to use the espn app on his roku device. He has no issues on all other devices when using espn app.

[makaiguy]

Well, you've got me stumped.

I would expect channel apps that determine your location do so by checking the IP number (assigned to your connection by your internet supplier) and looking up its location.  When using your phone's wifi connection it should show the same IP as your Roku, as long as they are connected to the same home network, and so both should show the same location.

I don't know how likely this is, but the only possibility that I can think of is two pronged:

• The phone app connects to a different back end support application on the ESPN servers than the Roku app does.
• The Roku version on the ESPN server returns the wrong result when it looks up your IP.

You might contact ESPN and ask them to verify what location their system returns for your IP when the request comes from Roku.  (A what is my IP web search on your computer should tell you your IP.)

[Instynx]

I'm having the same issue! I also have an NVIDIA Shield TV and ESPN works fine on that, but on my Roku(s) it gives the "only available to users in the US" message. I live an hour south of the Canadian border. 

[Derrek67 · Accepted solution]

I had to contact espn app support to resolve it. Their IP address location database is all messed up and had me located in Canada which was incorrect.

Took a little over an hour with a support agent to get it updated. I used this contact method:

https://help.espnplus.com/espnplus_hc