How to Watch Riverdale Online in 2020: Catching Up with the Gang

Things aren’t okay in the town of Riverdale, even outside of the teen drama that plagues Archie Andrews’ gang. With enough references to times past and neon lights to make even Stranger Things blush, Riverdale is worth a watch (read our how to watch Stranger Things guide). In this short tutorial, we’re going to show you how.

There are a few ways to stream the show, some of which are legitimate and some that aren’t. Finding the show on its network, The CW Network, can often pose more problems than it’s worth, though, especially with how popular cord cutting is. If you’re looking to scratch your high school drama itch, read on to learn how to watch Riverdale. 

Watch Riverdale Online

As mentioned, Riverdale airs on The CW network, which, thankfully, is more accessible than some networks on standard cable. You can stream full episodes on The CW Network’s website or through its smart TV app for free, with ads placed throughout each episode. That’s only if you’re in the U.S., though. 

Because of distribution geoblocks, The CW Network only airs in the U.S., so if you’re outside the continental 48, you’ll have issues, unless you’re using a virtual private network. If you’re unaware, a VPN can make you appear as if you’re somewhere else online, bypassing the U.S.-only restriction The CW Network has. 

Not any VPN will work, though. Many handle streaming platforms poorly — read our ProtonVPN review for an example — so you’ll want to be equipped with a solid performer. Our best VPN for streaming guide is a good place to start, but you can just skip the hoopla and sign up for an account with ExpressVPN, too (read our ExpressVPN review). 

Additionally, Netflix is streaming Riverdale. All seasons not currently airing on The CW Network are available to watch, with new seasons being added shortly after they’re completed on live TV. That said, the geoblocks still apply, so read our best VPN for Netflix and how to beat the Netflix VPN ban guides to prepare for that.

Watch Riverdale for Free

You can watch Riverdale for free on The CW Network, but if you don’t want to deal with ads, you can stream it for free elsewhere, too. We suspect there are quite a few websites hosting streams, but glancing around, we found all seasons on Couchtuner and Europix. That said, if dodging ads is what you’re after, those websites will pose issues.

They’re notorious for pop-ups, so be sure you’re equipped with one of our best pop-up blockers before booting up the stream. A browser with a built-in ad blocker isn’t a bad idea, either, such as Opera (read our Opera review). 

Another issue is cybercrime. If the streaming website can’t make money bombarding you with ads, it’ll do it by sending malware down the network chain. Our best antivirus software guide will ensure you’re protected on all fronts, but if you’re looking to save money, you can get by with our best free antivirus software, too. 

Watch Riverdale on Kodi

If dealing with buggy and ad-riddled websites doesn’t sound appetizing, you can stream on Kodi. As you can read in our Kodi guide, it’s an open-source media center interface that can be expanded with add-ons. Some of those add-ons, thankfully, allow you to pull streams (read our best Kodi add-ons guide for a few examples). 

We found all seasons streaming on the Poseidon add-on, but others have streams, too. These add-ons work by pulling streams from websites like Couchtuner and Europix and allowing you to choose which you want to watch. Instead of hosting the content, they simply scrub other websites.

Because of that, the same rules apply. You’ll want an antivirus program at the ready. Pop-ups are less of an issue, though. More important here is using a VPN. Pulling these streams isn’t legal — read our is Kodi legal guide for more on that — so protecting your IP address and identity is important. 

Our best VPN for Kodi guide will set you down the right path. Unsurprisingly, ExpressVPN took down that list, too, seeing as it’s probably the best VPN in general, but CyberGhost isn’t a bad option, either. As you can read in our CyberGhost review, it has a long list of servers built for streaming. 

Riverdale Torrents

If you’re not too keen on streaming, you can download Riverdale locally and watch it without concern about internet speed. The CW Network doesn’t allow you to download episodes, but you can still access them through torrenting. If you’re unaware, torrenting allows you to take small bits of a file from multiple machines and assemble them on your computer. 

Though it gets past copyright infringement for the most part, there are still questions around if torrenting is illegal. As is the case with almost all other ways to watch Riverdale, you’ll want a VPN so you can stay anonymous while torrenting. Read our best VPN for torrenting guide for recommendations. 

ExpressVPN works well for torrenting, but we like NordVPN more, which you can learn about in our NordVPN review. Looking around, we found Riverdale on The Pirate Bay and LimeTorrents. Your preferred alternative torrenting website should have episodes available, too. 

In addition to a VPN, an antivirus is important because you’re downloading a file onto your machine. Our most secure antivirus software can get you set up, but we recommend Bitdefender Antivirus above everything else. As you can read in our Bitdefender Antivirus review, it offers exceptional protection and a long list of features, to boot. 

Final Thoughts

Riverdale is worth a watch, despite some of its corny high school shenanigans. Thankfully, it’s easy to find between The CW Network, Netflix, torrenting, Kodi and online streaming platforms. Just make sure you’re equipped with a VPN and antivirus software before venturing into the depths of Riverdale. 

Check out our streaming archive, too. There, you’ll find pieces just like this one, so you can binge until your heart’s content. Recently, we published how to watch The Shield and how to watch Bleach, so have a look at those. 

How do you plan to watch Riverdale? Let us know in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading. 

Riverdale FAQ

What Is Riverdale About?

Riverdale is inspired by the “Archie” comics. Though it’s not taking storylines from the comics, most of the characters are there. The stories change from season to season, but Riverdale is mostly about crime in the hometown of a group of teen friends. 

Where Is Riverdale Filmed?

Most of filming for Riverdale takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The iconic opening shot that shows the town was taken in Harbor Springs, Michigan, though.

What Channel is Riverdale On?

Riverdale airs on The CW network, but it’s also streaming on Netflix.