How to Watch Blackout MLB Games

The simplest way to bypass Major League Baseball (MLB) blackouts is to use a VPN. Using the VPN app, you can route your traffic through a proxy server and appear to be outside of home television territory.

However, the instructions for setting up a VPN with MLB.tv differ a lot depending on the device you’re using. Devices like Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast require many additional steps. Though it’s straightforward on Windows and iPhone.

The best VPN server also depends on whether the game is locally or nationally blacked out. Our research found that we could watch World Series games from Fox within the MLB app by connecting to a VPN server in Germany.

This same method also worked for regular season games that were streamed on Apple TV+, Peacock, ESPN+, and others.

We don’t recommend connecting to an international server location to watch regular games on MLB.tv, though, as your speeds will be negatively impacted. To help you find the best server and VPN, use this table:

Streaming Service	Best Server	Compatible VPNs
MLB.tv	US server in a neighboring state	ExpressVPN, Surfshark, PrivateVPN, IPVanish, Proton VPN, Atlas VPN, Windscribe
Fox (including World Series), Apple TV+, Peacock, ESPN+, Prime Video	Germany server	ExpressVPN, Surfshark, PrivateVPN, Windscribe

In the sections below, we’ll walk you through exactly how to watch blackout MLB games on every platform.

Desktop or Laptop (Windows & Mac)

Using a VPN to unblock MLB games on Windows and Mac is easy. Simply connect to a VPN server in a location outside of the blackout region. Then, open MLB.TV and click play.

You can read more detailed instructions in the steps below.

Alternatively, watch our video tutorial below. We show how to use a VPN to bypass MLB.tv blackouts on the MLB.TV website.

Android

On Android, the MLB app checks your location by reading your device’s GPS coordinates. As a result, a typical VPN service will not work.

Instead, you need a VPN app that includes GPS spoofing functionality. Our recommendation is Surfshark.

You can also view our video below which shows exactly how to watch MLB games from anywhere on Android.

iPhone

The MLB app on iPhone and iPad also requests your GPS location. However, our research found that you can bypass this by denying the app access to your location.

Fire TV & Android TV

Streaming geo-restricted MLB games is easy on Fire TV and Android TV. Just make sure your VPN has an app for your device. Then, connect to a VPN server outside of the blackout region and open the MLB app.

Apple TV

You can’t install VPN apps directly on tvOS. Instead, you’ll have to set up Smart DNS to spoof your Apple TV’s location.

As with iOS, the MLB tvOS app requests your GPS information. However, we found that you can workaround this by simply denying access.

You can also watch our video tutorial below. You can see exactly how to set up Control D and how to change DNS settings on your Apple TV to avoid blackouts.

Roku & Chromecast

Roku and older Chromecast devices don’t support VPN apps. Nor do they allow you to configure DNS settings, so they aren’t compatible with Smart DNS services.

Instead, the best way to unblock MLB.tv on Roku and Chromecast is to set up a virtual router from your computer or laptop. You also have the option of using a VPN router, but these are expensive and require prior experience.

These three VPNs all work with MLB in multiple countries, including servers on the East and West Coasts of the US. They also have fast speeds and are either 100% free or come with a money-back guarantee.

The Top Three MLB.tv VPNs Compared

Use the table below to compare the best VPNs for MLB side-by-side:

	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	Windscribe Free
US Server Locations	16	25	8
Download Speed	97Mbps	95Mbps	90Mbps
Android GPS Spoofing	No	Yes	Yes
Smart DNS	Doesn’t Work	Doesn’t Work	Additional Cost
Router App	Yes	No	No
Cheapest Price	$6.67	$2.30	100% Free

1. ExpressVPN: Best VPN for MLB.tv Overall

Streams MLB.tv with fast speeds on its large server network.

Pros	Cons
Works with MLB on every server Fast download speeds Servers in 94 countries for avoiding national blackouts Easy-to-use apps on every platform 24/7 customer support Native app for routers	No GPS spoofing feature on Android MediaStreamer can’t access the MLB app Most expensive option

The overall best VPN for watching blackout MLB games is ExpressVPN. Though it’s more expensive than the alternatives, it makes up for it with its fast speeds and excellent platform support.

Easily Bypasses Local & National Blackouts

In our tests, ExpressVPN was the best option for bypassing both types of MLB blackouts.

We worked around local blackouts by getting a US IP address from outside the blackout area. We were easily able to do this thanks to ExpressVPN’s large server network, with servers in 11 US states. No matter where you’re located, you’ll always be able to find a server close to you.

Some other top VPNs, like Private Internet Access, have more US servers than ExpressVPN. However, we found that only 50% of them were compatible with MLB.tv. ExpressVPN worked 100% of the time in every US server location.

To watch the World Series on Fox and get around other nationally blacked out games from, we connected to an ExpressVPN server in one of the 92 countries offered outside of the US and Canada.

As you can see in the image below, when connected to an ExpressVPN server in France, the Apple TV+ video stream was displayed directly in the MLB.tv website.

The Fastest Download Speeds for MLB

Although many VPNs can unblock MLB, only the best can stream it in maximum resolution without any buffering.

In our streaming tests, ExpressVPN performed better than any other. We didn’t experience any stutters and videos loaded instantly.

From a test location in New York, we tested ExpressVPN’s speeds while connected to servers useful for MLB.tv. We found that ExpressVPN is more than fast enough to stream MLB in full resolution.

This also makes it a top choice for streaming blackout NBA games and for accessing NFL Game Pass to watch out-of-market NFL games.

Using our 100Mbps internet connection, our speeds dropped only 6% to 94Mbps when connecting to the nearest server outside of our blackout area. Our speeds remained at 88Mbps when connecting to a London server to avoid a national blackout.

In all, ExpressVPN kept our internet speeds far above the 5Mbps required for Full HD video at 60 FPS.

You can see our full results from testing ExpressVPN in the table below:

Server Location	Download Speed (Mbps)	Speed Loss (%)	Distance (miles)
Starting Speed (New Jersey)	100Mbps	/	0 mi
New York	94Mbps	6%	80 mi
San Francisco	91Mbps	9%	2537 mi
Toronto	95Mbps	5%	344 mi
London	88Mbps	12%	3519 mi

2. Surfshark: Best Option for Android

Affordable VPN with easy-to-use apps on every device.

Pros	Cons
GPS spoofing feature on Android Unlimited simultaneous connections Fast speeds using WireGuard Cheap monthly price and 7-day free trial Servers in 100 countries User-friendly app interface	No app for routers Some servers don’t work with MLB.tv Smart DNS feature is ineffective

If you want to stream MLB on Android, Surfshark is the best option. It comes with a spoofer on Android devices to match your GPS location with the VPN server.

That said, it’s beaten by ExpressVPN in almost every other testing category. It’s less reliable with MLB.tv and it doesn’t come with an app for routers.

GPS Spoofing Is Effective on Android

As we detailed earlier, the MLB Android app requires access to your GPS location to function. As a regular VPN only changes your IP address and not your GPS coordinates, almost every VPN doesn’t work with MLB on Android.

The only other VPNs with this feature are Windscribe and IVPN. But Surfshark is much faster than Windscribe, and IVPN doesn’t work with MLB at all.

Surfshark’s feature will automatically change your GPS location as you change the VPN server location. This ensures there’s never a mismatch and makes it much harder for MLB’s geo-blocks to detect it.

Surfshark’s compatibility with other platforms and devices is quite disappointing, though.

The VPN’s Smart DNS feature didn’t change our DNS address when watching MLB streams. This meant we were still blacked out from the same games as when not using the tool.

Unlike ExpressVPN, the VPN also doesn’t come with a router app. To watch MLB on devices like Roku, Smart TVs, and older Chromecast devices, we recommend setting up a virtual router instead.

Premium Features at an Affordable Price

Surfshark can be purchased at a much lower rate than other top VPNs. It costs as little as $2.30 per month, which is over 60% cheaper than our top-pick ExpressVPN.

If you sign up from your mobile device you also get access to Surfshark’s seven-day free trial. Or you can try the VPN for longer by using its 30-day refund period.

Despite its affordability, Surfshark includes many features we only see from the most premium services. Its WireGuard connections are fast and are secured using ChaCha20, the latest encryption cipher.

The VPN also includes a RAM-only server network, a DNS-based ad blocker, and there’s no device limit. Unless you require the fastest speeds, Surfshark is a top choice for streaming MLB.

3. Windscribe: Best Free VPN for MLB

The only 100% free VPN that streams MLB.tv.

Pros	Cons
Completely free with no payment details required Streams MLB.tv on all of its servers Location Warp tool changes GPS location on Android No device limit Free servers in 8 US locations	10GB monthly data limit Smart DNS requires an additional subscription Slower speeds than premium VPN services Customer support is slow to respond

Windscribe is the only completely free VPN service that streams MLB from anywhere. In our latest tests, we could access geo-blocked MLB games from all 11 of its server locations.

Though it’s a lot slower than the paid-for VPNs in this list, it’s still fast enough for streaming MLB. You’ll be limited by its 10GB monthly data limit, though.

Excellent Smart DNS Tool

Windscribe’s Smart DNS service, named Control D, is the only Smart DNS tool that works with MLB.tv. We used it to unblock MLB games on streaming devices that don’t allow VPN apps, like Apple TV and an LG Smart TV.

All of the other services we tested, like ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer and StrongVPN’s Smart DNS, don’t allow you to change the city location of your DNS server. This makes them useless for avoiding MLB blackouts.

Control D is a paid-for additional subscription, but it does have a 30-day free trial. You can use it for a month without spending a cent.

Free Servers in Many US Locations

Using Windscribe Free, you can connect to eight US cities in seven different states, spread across the East, West, and Central areas of the US. These include popular locations, like New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

As these servers are located in a variety of locations, Windscribe Free is excellent for bypassing MLB blackouts. We were always able to connect to a nearby server that was outside of the blackout area.

By contrast, some of the other free VPNs we tested, like Proton VPN and Atlas VPN, only have servers in one or two US cities. We found it much harder to get around geo-restrictions using these services.

For nationally blacked out games, Windscribe has free servers in 10 more countries. We found the UK server delivered the fastest speeds, as it’s part of Windscribe’s 10Gbps server network.

100% Free but 10GB Data Cap Is a Drawback

You can use Windscribe Free in combination with MLB.tv’s free trial to access MLB.tv totally free for three days. Although the MLB website states it offers a seven-day free trial, we found that it bills your card after the third day.

Windscribe is completely free to use, without any conditions. To get more than the default 2GB of monthly free data, you will have to verify your email address. No payment details or other personal information is required, though.

That said, Windscribe’s enhanced 10GB monthly data limit is still a major downside. We found that we were able to stream roughly four hours of MLB until we used all of our allowance. We couldn’t even get through two full games.

Though it’s one of the highest data caps we’ve seen, it won’t be enough for most people. Instead, we recommend you either take advantage of a premium VPN’s money-back guarantee or use Control D’s free trial. Both these options will give you 30 days of unlimited bandwidth.

MLB blackout restrictions exist to encourage subscriptions to cable TV. Most of the teams in the MLB receive funding from these cable TV providers and regional sports networks (RSNs) — over $100 million per year per team.

For example, a New York Yankees fan that lives within the Yankees blackout area must subscribe to a cable package that includes YES Network. These cable packages start at around $60 a month, which is almost three times more expensive than MLB.tv.

Games that are nationally televised, like those on Friday and Sunday, are geo-blocked to enforce TV licensing agreements. In the US, the nationwide rights for these games are held by one of Apple TV+, ESPN, Peacock, or Amazon Prime Video.

If you’re in the US, you won’t be able to stream any of these games from MLB.tv. This applies even if you’re outside of the team’s usual blackout area.

Will MLB blackouts end?

MLB’s blackout rules may change in the future. NESN, the RSN for the Boston Red Sox, has recently launched a self-hosted streaming platform without blackouts. Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, has also stated removing blackouts is a “top priority.”

That said, the blackout rules aren’t changing in time for the 2023/2024 MLB season. Instead, we expect it to be many years until anything significant happens. Most of the rules are set in multi-year media contracts.

Until these contracts expire, the only way to remove local and national MLB blackouts is by using a compatible VPN service.

MLB blackout areas are determined by the coverage area of the RSN that has the local broadcast rights.

To help you find each MLB team’s blackout territory, we’ve created an up-to-date map with the latest boundaries. We update this as soon as there are any changes.

Our map is also the only one available that includes the blackout territories for both the US and Canada. See it below to find out which teams are geo-blocked in your region.

View an enlarged image of our MLB blackout map.

As you can see, some blackout regions span entire states. You might still be blocked from accessing a team even if you live hundreds of miles away. There are also many instances where there are multiple teams blacked out in the same state.

The state with the most MLB blackouts is Iowa, which lies within the geo-restricted zone for six teams: the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals.

If you’re located in Iowa and none of these teams are playing each other, you’re blocked from streaming 40% of the total number of MLB games on that day.

How to Bypass MLB.tv Error Codes

MLB.tv Error: “There was an unexpected internal error”

MLB.tv displays this error message when it detects you’re using a VPN. You’ll see this when logging in to your account.

The easiest way to fix this error is to connect to a compatible server. If you can’t find a working server after a few attempts, ask your VPN’s customer support team for the best server.

MLB.tv Error: “We have determined this game is unavailable in your area”

You’ll see this error message when your IP address location is within the blackout region.

If you see this message while connected to a VPN server in a different state, you’re likely connected within the blackout boundaries for the opposing team.

To bypass this, connect to a server elsewhere and clear your browser’s cookies and cache. Then, refresh your browser on desktop or restart your device if you’re on mobile.

MLB.tv Error: “R303”

You will see the R303 error when there is a problem with your network connection. Try disconnecting from your VPN and relaunching the MLB app. If it works, there is a problem with your VPN connection.

The best way to fix this is to contact your VPN’s customer support department. They’ll know if there’s a problem with the VPN server or they can help you diagnose a general issue with your network.