# Showtime Network Website Blocked for non-U.S. Visitors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629 "2004-03-26T20:36:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/1 "2004-03-26T20:36:44Z")
Er,… could someone explain this? I’m just trying to find out when a Showtime series will be airing on a Canadian affiliate network, as well as get some background info on a series’ production. But trying to go to Showtime’s website, I get and error page that says: “We at Showtime Online express our apologies; however, these pages are intended for access only from within the United States.” Is it a matter of broadcast seasons being scheduled differently and therefore it’s preventing spoilers? Why not also add links to the major affiliates that carry their programs? (Example: If _Queer As Folk_ is in season 17 in the U.S. and only season 2 in Canada, that makes sense to keep people from peeking ahead. Otherwise, the series official site is being blocked from my computer and that’s kinda weird to me.) Hm. Kinda annoying. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/2 "2004-03-27T03:30:04Z")
I got that same message from MovieLink the other day, and I live in the US!!! [http://www.movielink.com/](http://www.movielink.com/) I tried again a few minutes later and it worked. Not sure what their non-US beef is really. Maybe it has something to do with ordering their services? They may be working under some interstate commerce, or FCC or ??? laws, I don’t know … hmmm … ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/3 "2004-03-27T03:40:21Z")
FWIW, Canadian here who on seeing your post went off to the U.S. Showtime website. I didn’t have any problems getting onto the website, and certainly didn’t get the kind of message you described. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/4 "2004-03-27T03:51:39Z")
**Pastall** , what URL did you go to? I tried [www.sho.com](http://www.sho.com) and got the same error page as Crayons did. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/5 "2004-03-27T03:52:57Z")
FWIW I talked to the people at [movielink.com](http://movielink.com), he said the reason was because their service is not available outside the US at this time (scratching my head on that one, what difference would it make if I flew to Mexico and downloaded a movie?), but anyway, my second thought is that is might have something to do with encryption. Encryption is a slippery subject in the international community, it seems like the US has an agreement internally about it, but you have to be careful about encryption when you are dealing with people outside the US. But anyways, give it another try, maybe you just got glitched like I did. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/6 "2004-03-27T03:59:15Z")
**Manduck** , the link was this one - [http://www.sho.com/site/homepage/index.do](http://www.sho.com/site/homepage/index.do). Hope it works for you. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/7 "2004-03-27T20:31:39Z")
I couldn’t get to that URL either, **PastAllReason** , it gives me the outside US error too. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/8 "2004-03-27T20:46:34Z")
**PastAllReason** tried your link, using a different (but still Canadian) ISP and I still got the error. **ccwaterback** that makes _some_ sense. But for general information or corporate info that would be backasswards! For example, if I was a journalist writing about the differences in TV show programming, or a potential investor (I _do_ have stocks in American companies, after all), I’d be SOL. I can understand blocking off spoiler pages, as in my OP. If some countries are a few season’s behind, you don’t want folks to be able to look ahead. But the _entire_ site. So not even general info about the network is accessible? That’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/9 "2004-03-27T21:48:51Z")
Would the fact that I have AOL make any difference in being able to access the site? ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/10 "2004-03-27T22:28:20Z")
I got on. It turns out that Britney is doing a live concert tomorrow night. It involves blindfolds. Um… and possibly Atlas… Oh wait, I’m not in Canadia. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/11 "2004-03-27T22:55:35Z")
I don’t think this is a no-no here, but have you tried going through a proxy service? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/12 "2004-03-28T04:01:05Z")
[http://www.sho.com/site/util/privacy.do](http://www.sho.com/site/util/privacy.do) [SHO.COM](http://SHO.COM) PRIVACY POLICY [SHO.COM](http://SHO.COM) is committed to protecting the privacy of its visitors and has prepared the following statement to inform users how personally identifying information and non-personally identifying information is gathered from our website and used by [SHO.COM](http://SHO.COM). [SHO.COM](http://SHO.COM) encourages its website users to be smart about choosing when, and to whom, to release information online. This policy may change from time to time, so please check back periodically. Please note that [SHO.COM](http://SHO.COM) is intended for use by United States residents only and, therefore, [SHO.COM](http://SHO.COM)’s Privacy Policy is specifically directed only towards residents of the United States. * * * Hmm … maybe something to do with “privacy” issues outside the US? > [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > But for general information or corporate info that would be backasswards! I definately agree with your ideas. One thing though, Showtime is owned by Viacom. > **[Home | ViacomCBS](https://www.viacomcbs.com/)** > > ViacomCBS is one of the world’s leading producers of premium entertainment content that connects billions of people in nearly every country in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/13 "2004-03-28T05:45:55Z")
> [@PastAllReason](#): > > Would the fact that I have AOL make any difference in being able to access the site? IIRC, all of AOL’s IP addresses are traced back to Virginia, where AOL is located. Which is to say if someone did a lookup on your address, it would appear that you are in Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![peterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@peterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peterW)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showtime-network-website-blocked-for-non-u-s-visitors/236629/14 "2004-03-28T15:08:10Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I don’t think this is a no-no here, but have you tried going through a proxy service? This works. You have to use a US one, though.