How to watch 30 Rock reunion special: stream the new episode online from anywhere

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By James Laird
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The Girlie Show crew are back for a one-off special

watch 30 rock reunion special online
(Image credit: NBC)

It's good news for Lemonheads this week as the cast of 30 Rock are reuniting for a special, remotely-filmed episode that's airing live on NBC tonight before heading to a number of streaming services - including Peacock, the network giant's new platform. Here's how to watch the 30 Rock reunion special online - stream the new episode from anywhere in the world with the help of our guide.

30 Rock reunion special - cheat sheet

Today's special 30 Rock reunion episodes airs at 8pm ET/PT on NBC linear TV. From Friday, July 17 it'll also be available to watch on Peacock, NBC's all-new streaming platform. Americans abroad can use a VPN to check out Peacock from anywhere. It offers a huge amount of free content, with just an email address required to sign up, while its Premier offering supports PayPal for added convenience.

The original cast is all back for '30 Rock: A One-Time Special', including series creator Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy, Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan. Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney, and Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Parcell.

The premise of the special episode is that Kenneth has risen from a lowly page to become chairman of the company, and the former Girlie Show team reunite to help their old friend with a presentation.

Plus, we'll get to see Tina Fey shouting at someone for not wearing a face mask in public, as like the Parks and Rec special earlier this year, the 30 Rock reunion was filmed remotely and touches on the Covid-19 pandemic. Don't miss the special - here's how to watch the 30 Rock reunion episode from anywhere today.

Now on Peacock

watch 30 rock reunion online

How to watch the 30 Rock reunion special in the US

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NBC is the place to head for tonight's 30 Rock reunion episode, which airs at 8pm ET/PT on linear TV - after which it will land on NBC's streaming platforms, including the all-new <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/peacock-tv-how-to-watch-for-free-cost-devices-shows-movies-and-more" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Peacock.

However, the new Peacock platform is proving to muddy the waters for those wanting to watch the 30 Rock reunion. On the one hand, it's an option for streaming the special from Friday, July 17, along with <a href="https://www.nbc.com/" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NBC.com and the network's <a href="https://www.nbc.com/apps" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" data-link-merchant="nbc.com"" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">apps - available for iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV devices, as well as the Xbox and select Samsung and Vizio smart TVs. Peacock also offers all seven seasons of 30 Rock for on demand viewing. 

But the fact that the new episode will be promoting the Peacock service in various ways throughout the broadcast has irked a number of local NBC affiliate stations, who won't be airing the special live tonight as linear TV continues to try and fight back against streaming platforms.

NBC operates its stations directly in the nation's 10 biggest markets - so major metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Forth Worth, and Boston are all covered. But you might struggle if you're in Tulsa or Boise, we're sorry to say.

However, as above, there are a number of streaming options dropping on Friday, so while a little bit of patience may be required, most people should still be able to watch the 30 Rock reunion this week.

How to watch the 30 Rock reunion special from outside the country

As we've just explained, anyone in the US will find it relatively easy to watch the 30 Rock reunion special, especially on demand the day after. However, anyone from America who's currently abroad will notice it's not being aired simultaneously in places like the UK, Canada or Australia. 

And unfortunately, trying to tune into NBC streaming services  from like you would from home was likely impossible because of geo-blocking restrictions. Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of a VPN. This nifty bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access all the content you normally would at home, from anywhere in the world.

However, note that some services require you to verify local credit card or cable subscription details before gaining access, so it's always best to read the fine print first - though plenty of services, including Peacock, also let you pay using PayPal for added convenience if you're abroad.

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While there are hundreds of VPNs to choose from, <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Ftechradar%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">we always recommend ExpressVPN. As well as being fast, simple, and straightforward to install, it's also compatible with a whole host of devices - Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS and Android to name some of the main ones.

Plus, ExpressVPN's flexible 30-day money back guarantee is difficult to argue with. Even better, you can purchase an annual plan for a <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Ftechradar%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">49% discount and 3 months extra FREE – a brilliant offer for an essential bit of software.

Once installed, select the location of your home country and simply click connect to watch the 30 Rock reunion at home from anywhere on the planet.

How to watch 30 Rock online: stream every episode from anywhere

If the reunion has reminded you what a great show 30 Rock was - or piqued your interest in it for the first time - here are the best ways to watch it in a number of its biggest markets.

These regional recommendations that offer all seven seasons of the show for online stream as part of their core packages, thereby offering you the best value. They're also vetted to ensure they have strong device compatibility (though it's always worth reading the fine print to ensure yours is supported).

James Laird
James Laird

James is a technology journalist with nearly 10 years experience and currently Sports and TV Streaming Editor at Future, where he works across TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide. He is here to help you find the best ways to watch sports, TV shows and movies online. Previously, he was News and Features Editor at Trusted Reviews, Editor of Lifehacker UK, and Senior Staff Writer at ITProPortal.