Kodi is an open-source media player that allows users to stream content and is heavily reliant on add-ons like Empire that have links to content streams. The Empire video add-on has a variety of content including kids’ shows, movies, series and TV shows. It contains many links to content for streams in well-arranged categories for easy browsing. Empire comes in English as the default language, but there is an option for subtitles in other languages. The interface is user-friendly although it is a bit sketchy when one clicks on a link. Many users have also complained that the links are slow to load, but the wide selection of content should be enough to compensate for this shortcoming.

Empire is an unofficial Kodi add-on and you cannot get it from the Kodi store so you need to not only have a VPN in place before installing it, you need to follow the instructions provided below.

Why is a VPN important when using Empire?

As you might know, the U.S. Congress repealed internet privacy laws in 2017 after an appeal by the FCC. This action resulted in internet service providers (ISPs) being granted full access to monitor, control and filter the content that their users can access. Many ISPs now use this power to throttle the bandwidth for users who are streaming copyrighted content leading to slow connections. ISPs also block such content resulting in Kodi errors and in some cases; they collaborate with the government to send warnings to copyright violators.

To ensure your anonymity when streaming online it’s important to use a commercial VPN service like Shellfire VPN. VPNs like Shellfire VPN offer a secure and encrypted connection between your streaming device and the VPN server. When you use a VPN service, your connection is completely private and your activities cannot be monitored or tracked. As such, since your ISP is unable to determine your online activities, they will not buffer your connection.

Anonymity is a huge factor in the popularity of VPNs but is not the only one. Another draw to this service comes through their ability to bypass geographic restrictions on content. Using a service like Shellfire VPN, it’s easy to connect to one of the many servers around the world. Once this connection is established, the VPN server will mask your originating IP address and grant you a new one ensuring that you have access to content that would otherwise be blocked.

How to install Empire add-on on Kodi

First, you have to enable ‘Unknown Sources’ by navigating Settings > System Settings > Add-ons and switching ‘Unknown Sources’ on.
After doing this, return to the Kodi Home Screen and choose ‘Settings’. This time select ‘File Manager’ and choose the ‘Add Source’ option from the left sidebar.
A popup window will appear; select <None> and in the top text field type in this URL: http://carsonotek.co/OGUK and click ‘OK’.
In the text box below that, where you are prompted to enter a name for the media source, type in ‘OGUK’ or any name that is easy to remember.
Once again, go back to the home screen and this time select the ‘Add-ons’ option. From the top left, click the ‘Add-on Browser’ option that looks like an open box.
Select ‘Install from zip file’ from the menu that appears next. Choose ‘OGUK’ or the name you chose; inside you will find a zip file named plugin.video.ukings.zip. Click on it to begin the installation.
An ‘Add-on Enabled’ notification informing you that the installation is complete will appear on the top right corner of the screen.
The Empire add-on is now ready to use. To access it, you have to open Kodi Home Screen and select the ‘Add-ons’ option where you will find it under ‘Video Add-ons’.