Lots of good IPTV services out there that are much cheaper than Gears. Most show NFL NHL NBA MLB games. You can get a sub from as little as 10 Dollars for the year.
Most don't need a VPN but allow the use of one if they are being targeted by your ISP(only a problem here in the UK at the moment). I wouldn't trust Ipvanish as they have previously handed logs over to the US government even though they say they don't keep logs. Private Internet Access VPN is good or better still NordVPN which is outside the five eyes jurisdiction. A VPN will slow down your connection speed though.
IPTV will work on lots of devices like smart Tvs (on Smart IPTV app) and android boxes. Works great on a Firestick with Smarters Pro App or STB emulator.
