How to watch His Dark Materials season 2 online from anywhere in the world right now

how to watch his dark materials season 2 online
(Image credit: BBC/HBO)

Last year, HBO and BBC combined forces to bring Philip Pullman's epic trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, to life in spectacular fashion. Fans thought this might not be possible, but what we were treated to on our screens was every bit as intense and thrilling as the books - and season 2 is no different! So whether you've been counting down the days to the new season's release date or are completely new to the show, read on as we explain how to watch His Dark Materials season 2 online right now, including for free in some places!

In case you haven't seen the first season of His Dark Materials, we won't dwell on it too much, as we hate spoilers. Instead, we'll get straight to season 2, which is largely based on the second book in Pullman's His Darkest Materials series, The Subtle Knife.

Watch His Dark Materials season 2 free

His Dark Materials season 2 goes out on Sundays (from November 8) on BBC One at 8.10pm. Straight after that, they'll be released to the broadcaster's streaming service, iPlayer. This means anyone in the UK can watch His Dark Materials free on BBC iPlayer, with any license-fee paying Brits abroad simply needing a good VPN by their side to stream just like they would at home. In the US, HBO is airing new episodes from Monday, November 16, so audiences are roughly a week behind.

It follows directly on from the first novel, The Golden Compass (or Northern Lights to those in the UK), which was the basis of season one. However, as with any book-to-screen adaptation, don't be surprised if things differ slightly different on TV to what appears on the page as we continue to follow Lyra and Will on their adventures.

New episodes will be shown weekly on BBC One in the UK at 8.10pm. The show will keep the same slot for its seven week run on the Beeb, and immediately after airing, you'll be able to watch His Dark Materials season 2 episodes on iPlayer, a streaming service that's 100% free to use in the UK (provided you've got a valid TV license). Those in the US face a slightly longer wait, with HBO Max releasing new His Dark Material season 2 episodes weekly from Monday, November 16 at 9pm ET/PT.

Wherever you are, our guide below explains how to watch His Dark Materials season 2 online wherever you - stream every new episode of the show from anywhere, including for free.

How to watch His Dark Materials online from outside your country

Out of the country but still want to watch all of the new His Dark Materials season 2 episodes as soon as they're released? Using a little handy trick, you can get around geo-blocks and digital borders by using a VPN - or Virtual Private Network in full.

It lets you watch all the same streaming services and content you normally enjoy (and pay for) at home, simply by changing your IP address. There are so many to choose from, but after hours of testing, we have a clear favorite we can recommend to you.

Use a VPN to watch His Darkest Materials season 2 from anywhere

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watch His Dark Materials online

How to watch His Dark Materials season 2 free online in the UK 

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If you want to watch His Dark Materials season 2 online in the UK, you're in the luck, as the country is the first in the world where it's being aired and made available for streaming.

New episodes of His Dark Materials season 2 are shown on BBC One every Sunday night at 8.10pm for the duration of its seven week run - and available on the BBC iPlayer streaming service immediately thereafter. This means anyone can get a FREE His Dark Materials season 2 stream if they're in the UK and have a valid TV license, of course, as per iPlayer's small print.

If that's you but you're not in the UK at the moment, don't panic - you'll just have to go ahead and download and install a VPN as described above.

How to watch His Dark Materials online US

How to watch His Dark Materials season 2 in the US: release date and more

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The UK has a 1-week head start on the US when it comes to His Dark Materials season 2, with the US release date of the show set for Monday, November 16, when it will be shown by HBO on linear TV at 9pm ET/PT - and streamed live on HBO Max at the same time.

HBO's streaming-only service is great value, offering a FREE 7-day trial and costing just $14.99 a month if you decide to keep it. If you already have HBO on cable, you may even be entitled to watch HBO Max free online through your subscription.

Shame you have to wait all that time, huh?

watch His Dark Materials online australia

 How to watch His Dark Materials season 2 online

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For all of the Australian fans out there, Foxtel has revealed that episode 1 of His Dark Materials season 2 will drop Down Under on November 17 - pretty much in time with its availability in the US.

This means Aussies will either need a Foxtel pay TV package to watch the show online, which grants access to the network giant's  Foxtel Now companion streaming service (which has a free 10-day trial) - or a standalone solution.

To this end, Foxtel has recently launched Binge to appeal to cord cutters, and it currently has all of season 1 of His Dark Materials as part of its library of content. 

It also offers a FREE trial period (priced from AUD$10 a month thereafter), and given its close relationship with Foxtel, we'd expect this is the place streamers will be able to find new episodes of His Dark Materials first in Australia.

watch His Dark Materials online

How to watch His Dark Materials season 2 in Canada

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Those in the Great White North have a wait on their hands - and possibly an even longer one than the US, as the His Dark Materials season 2 release date for Canada hasn't been confirmed as yet.

However, Canadian fans or anyone new to the show can watch all avaialble His Dark Materials episodes on Crave - it's especially, great for newbies to the show, thanks to its free trial.

His Dark Materials season 2 cast: who's in His Dark Materials?

As well as starring Dafne Keen as Lyra and Amir Wilson as Will, His Dark Materials season 2 boasts a star-studded cast including Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby, and Clarke Peters as Dr Carne. It will also feature a lot more of Andrew Scott (aka 'Hot Priest' or Moriarty) as John Parry, Will's dad, we're given to understand - and a stint from Phoebe Waller-Bridge herself as a mysterious daemon. 

watch His Dark Materials online

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.

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