Expanding on the basic concept of a VPN: A VPN does 2 things, 1) it gives you a secure tunnel through the internet, and 2) it provides a connection to another network that is as if you are inside their local area network.
For a remote worker, the security plus the ability to browse/map drives/access programs as if you are inside the office is very useful. Absent a VPN, you typically need to control an computer inside the office, not always an option.
For the purposes specified in the OP, once you are connected to another network via the VPN, websites and media services can only see that you are coming from that host VPN site, and they have no knowledge of your real location.