World Cup streams are intentionally freezing your video player here is why your VPNs ad blocker is causing the crash and the way that you can fix it before England vs Mexico

Date:
Sun, 05 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Description:
Streaming services use trackers to check whether youre watching adverts, meaning ad-blockers can cause problems.

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 Many of the best VPNs come with ad-blockers built in, meaning you can surf the web uninterrupted, but when it comes to watching live broadcasts like the 2026 World Cup online ,
ad-blockers can bring your entire stream to a standstill.

Those using an ad-blocker on a streaming service usually have no problems until the ad break, at which time the screen can freeze or turn black.

This is because many streaming sites use server-side ad insertions (SSAI), which deliver ads from the same pre-browser server as the rest of the broadcast, rather than through a third-party domain.

When the VPNs ad-blocker detects an advertisement, it shuts down the entire viewing experience, rather than only the ads because the ads and broadcast are coming from the same place. Your ad-blocker cant tell the difference between the two and calls time on your stream.

Thankfully, most VPNs will allow you to switch off ad-blocking. So, you just need to remember to do that when you're using an ad-funded World Cup
streaming service , like ITVX. (It's not a problem on ad-free ones like iPlayer.)

If you don't currently have a VPN for the World Cup , then give Norton VPN a try. It's very good for streaming and has a 60-day money-back guarantee. That's double the length of over VPNs.

It's also more than enough time to cover you for the rest of the World Cup.

World Cup Deal save $25.89 on Norton VPN Plus Was: $5.49/month Now: $3.33/month

Watch your World Cup stream uninterrupted. Norton VPN delivers fast, secure connections, and the ability to turn off the Ad Tracker Blocking with the touch of a toggle.

Thanks to its World Cup deal, you can now get Norton VPN Plus for the same price as the Standard plan. That means you get AI-powered scam detection and
a password manager effectively for free.

Additional features include: Cover up to 5 devices Unlock World Cup streams
1010 Mbps download speeds

Norton VPN also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee double the industry standard. View Deal It's simple enough to switch off Norton's ad blocker. Go to the settings cog and find the Ad Tracker Blocking toggle. (It's in the VPN preferences tab if you're using a laptop). Then switch it off. Simple.

If you are hesitant to switch off your ad-blocking tools completely, there is a fairly techy workaround if you really want.

While streaming, open your browsers developer tools and watch the network tab as the stream crashes this should show you the blocked tracking domain.

You can then add that URL to your ad blockers whitelist, which will keep the video running while continuing to block other ads.

Its worth noting that one of Nortons competitors, Windscribe, allows users to create custom whitelisting rules by site with its R.O.B.E.R.T tool (yes, that's its actual name), meaning you wont need to switch off ad-blocking
while enjoying a match. Check out our Windscribe VPN review for details. Today's best Norton VPN deals 59.99 29.99 View Deal 59.99 29.99 View Deal 79.99 34.99 View Deal Show more 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/world-cup-streams-are-intentionally-freezing-you r-video-player-here-is-why-your-vpns-ad-blocker-is-causing-the-crash-and-the-w ay-that-you-can-fix-it


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