How to Watch Blackout MLB Games with a VPN

We chose the best VPNs for MLB.TV based on the selection criteria below:

• Many US server locations that bypassed local blackouts on MLB.TV.
• International servers that work with MLB.TV to stream the World Series and national blackout games.
• Easy-to-use apps for mobile, desktop, and streaming services.
• Fast download speeds and unlimited bandwidth for uninterrupted HD streaming.
• Experienced customer support to help with setup and finding working servers.
• 100% free to use, offers a free trial, or a long refund period.

Since last season, MLB.TV has been blocking more IP addresses associated with VPNs. That said, the three services we recommend continue to be the most effective at beating these blocks.

Top MLB.TV VPNs Compared

The table below compares our recommended VPNs based on number of US and international server locations, average streaming speed, and device compatibility.

1. ExpressVPN: Best VPN for MLB.TV Overall

Pros	Cons
Works with MLB.TV on every server	Doesn’t work with the MLB.TV Android app
Very fast and stable streaming speeds	MediaStreamer can’t access the MLB.TV app
Servers in 106 countries for bypassing national blackouts	Not all US servers work all the time
Easy-to-use apps on every platform	More expensive than its alternatives
Excellent 24/7 live chat support
Native app for routers

ExpressVPN is hands down the best VPN for watching blackout games on MLB.TV.

While it’s more expensive than most other VPNs, ExpressVPN bypassed MLB.TV blackouts on most VPN servers we tested, across many popular devices, and at full resolution.

Easily Bypassed Local & National Blackouts

In our tests, ExpressVPN was the best option for bypassing both local and national MLB blackouts.

We worked around local blackouts by getting a US VPN IP address from outside the blackout area.

We easily did this thanks to ExpressVPN’s large server network, with servers in 11 US states and in 106 countries.

Other top VPNs, like Private Internet Access, have more US servers than ExpressVPN. However, only 50% of them worked with MLB.TV. ExpressVPN worked close to 100% of the time.

That said, MLB.TV has been more aggressive at blocking VPN IP addresses, so on rare occasions you may have to cycle through a few ExpressVPN servers to find one that works.

To watch the World Series on Fox, and to get around national blackouts, we connected to an ExpressVPN server in one of the 104 countries available outside the US and Canada.

As you can see below, when connected to an ExpressVPN server in France, we accessed the Apple TV+ video stream directly within the MLB.TV website.

The Fastest Streaming Speeds for MLB.TV

Although many VPNs work with MLB.TV, only the best can stream it in maximum resolution and without 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 a wide range of server locations. On every occasion, ExpressVPN accessed MLB.TV blackout games and at speeds fast enough for full resolution.

In fact, our streaming speeds dropped by only 3% when connecting to the nearest server outside our blackout area.

And when connected to overseas VPN servers to avoid a national blackout, our speeds slowed down by only 15%.

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 York)	100Mbps	/	0 mi
New York	97Mbps	3%	5mi
Toronto	95Mbps	5%	300mi
Los Angeles	90Mbps	10%	2,500 mi
London	93Mbps	7%	3,500mi

Overall, ExpressVPN’s exceptional streaming performance with MLB.TV is unmatched. Equally, it’s not surprising that it’s a formidable VPN for NBA League Pass, to watch out-of-market NFL games, and for accessing geo-blocked free F1 streaming sites.

2. Surfshark: Cheapest VPN for MLB.TV

Pros	Cons
Cheap monthly price and seven-day free trial	Some servers don’t work with MLB.TV
Streams MLB.TV on Android devices	Slower speeds than ExpressVPN
Unlimited simultaneous connections	Smart DNS service is ineffective
Servers in 100 countries	No app for routers
Well-designed Fire TV app

If you want a cheaper VPN than ExpressVPN to watch blackout games on MLB.TV, and one that works on Android devices, then Surfshark is a good option to consider.

Surfshark is more affordable than ExpressVPN, and its Android app comes with a rare GPS spoofer setting that bypasses MLB.TV’s GPS location blocks on Android.

The issues with Surfshark are its slower speeds, reduced device compatibility, and inability to bypass MLB.TV blackouts on every single server.

Premium Features at an Affordable Price

Surfshark is priced much lower than other top-rated VPNs. It costs as little as $2.21 per month on a two-year subscription – over 60% cheaper than ExpressVPN’s best price of $6.67 per month.

If you sign up via your mobile device, you also get access to Surfshark’s seven-day free trial, after which a 30-day refund period kicks in.

Despite its affordability, Surfshark includes many features we only see from the most premium services.

For instance, the VPN offers unlimited access to a RAM-only server network, including multi-hop servers, a DNS-based ad blocker, and no device limit.

Rare and Effective GPS Spoofer

Out of all of Surfshark’s advanced settings, its Override GPS function is the one that stood out the most in our tests with MLB.TV.

As we mentioned earlier, the MLB.TV Android app requires access to your GPS location to function, which you can’t turn off.

Regular VPNs only change your IP address, and not your GPS coordinates. As such, almost every VPN doesn’t work with the MLB.TV Android app, including ExpressVPN.

The only other VPNs with this capability are Windscribe (Pro) and IVPN. Surfshark is faster than Windscribe, and IVPN doesn’t work at all with MLB.TV.

Surfshark’s GPS spoofer effectively and consistently bypassed the MLB.TV’s Android app VPN detection systems at every attempt.

Once set up, the setting works by matching your GPS coordinates to the VPN server’s IP location. Overrride GPS will then automatically change your GPS location as you change VPN server location.

This ensures there is never a mismatch between your IP and GPS location, making it much harder for MLB.TV to detect your VPN connection.

We love this rare feature of Surfshark’s, which is also why it’s a great VPN for watching blackout NHL games on ESPN+ on Android devices.

Inferior Device Compatibility & Slower Speeds

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

The provider’s Smart DNS service didn’t change our DNS address when streaming MLB.TV on Apple TV and failed to bypass any blackout.

And unlike ExpressVPN, Surfshark doesn’t have a router app. To stream on devices like Roku, Smart TVs, and older Chromecast devices, you’ll have to set up a virtual router instead, which is more complicated.

Moreover, Surfshark’s speed losses were considerably higher than ExpressVPN’s. We experienced an average slowdown of 5% compared to ExpressVPN’s 3%.

All in all, Surfshark is a good VPN for MLB.TV, but ExpressVPN beats it in terms of server and device compatibility with MLB.TV, as well as streaming speeds.

3. Windscribe: Best Free VPN for MLB.TV

Pros	Cons
100% free with no payment details required	10GB monthly data limit
Streams MLB.TV on all its servers	Smart DNS requires an additional subscription
Location Warp tool changes GPS location on Android	Slower speeds than ExpressVPN
No device limit	No live customer support
Free servers in 8 US locations

Windscribe is the only completely free VPN that works with MLB.TV from anywhere.

In our latest tests, we accessed blackout MLB games from all 11 of its VPN server locations.

Sadly, Windscribe’s speeds are a lot slower than many paid-for VPNs, and our stream was blighted by blurriness and annoying buffering interruptions. You’re also limited by a 10GB monthly data cap.

Free Servers in Many US Locations

The free version of Windscribe lets you connect to eight US cities in seven different states, spread across the country. These include popular locations, like New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

All of these US locations worked with MLB.TV, and we were able to access blackout games.

By contrast, 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 them.

Windscribe also runs free servers in 10 more countries, useful for getting around national blackouts.

We found the UK server delivered the fastest speeds, since it’s part of Windscribe’s 10Gbps server network.

Slow Speeds & 10GB Data Cap Are a Problem

There were two main issues we faced testing Windscribe’s free VPN with MLB.TV: its 10GB monthly data limit, and its slower speeds.

Windscribe’s 10GB monthly data limit is a major downside. We found we could only stream roughly four hours of MLB.TV before our allowance maxed out. We couldn’t even get through two full games.

To add to our frustration, during those four hours, our stream often went blurry or stopped entirely. This was due to fluctuating speeds with drops of 13% on average.

Overall, we recommend using ExpressVPN’s free trial, or Surfshark’s, instead of using Windscribe. But if you’re ok with its limitations, then Windscribe is the best totally free VPN for MLB.TV.

As we’ve established, the simplest way to watch Major League Baseball (MLB) blackout games on MLB.TV is to use a fast and trustworthy VPN.

A VPN allows you to route your internet traffic through a proxy server and appear to be outside of home television territory.

However, setting up a VPN varies based on the device you’re using. For instance, devices like Roku, and Chromecast require many additional steps compared to PCs and smartphones.

The sections below explain in detail how to bypass MLB.TV blackouts on various popular devices.

Desktop/Laptop (Windows & macOS)

Unblocking geo-restricted MLB.TV games on PC and Mac is easy. Simply connect to a VPN server location outside the blackout area. Then, open MLB.TV and start streaming.

You can read more detailed instructions in the steps below.

Alternatively, watch the video tutorial below:

Android Mobile Devices

On Android devices, the MLB app checks your location by detecting your device’s GPS coordinates. Unlike the iOS app, you can’t deny the app to access your GPS location.

This means that changing your IP address location with a typical VPN won’t work.

Instead, you’ll need an Android VPN app that has GPS spoofing functionality, like Surfshark.

The video below shows us using Surfshark to bypass MLB.TV blackouts on our Android smartphone:

iOS (iPhone & iPad)

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

Apple TV, Fire TV & Android TV

Streaming geo-restricted baseball games on MLB.TV is easy on Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV, as long as your VPN has an native app for your device.

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.

Which Server Location Should I Connect to?

Using a VPN you have the choice of connecting to a different US location or a foreign on.

The best VPN server to connect to depends on whether the game is locally or nationally blacked out.

For instance, we’ve watched regular season games shown on FOX, Apple TV+, Peacock, and ESPN+, from within the MLB.TV app by connecting to a VPN server in Germany.

However, we don’t recommend connecting to a foreign server location to watch regular season games on MLB.TV. We experienced slower streaming speeds doing this.

We only recommend connecting to an international server to watch the World Series, which typically requires an additional subscription.

Use the table below to help you find the best VPN server location and compatible VPN:

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

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’ll 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 support team. They’ll know if there’s a problem with the VPN server, or they can help you diagnose a potential issue with your network.

We tested 65 VPN services with MLB.TV. Each VPN was tested in a web browser, on iOS, Android, Fire TV, and tvOS.

For a VPN to qualify as working, it had to stream MLB on at least two US servers and one international server.

Here are three popular VPNs that we don’t recommend for bypassing baseball blackouts:

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the most popular VPNs on the market, and it’s generally a top streaming VPN, too. Its apps are simple to use and it works with almost every popular streaming service.

However, its performance was disappointing with MLB.TV. We found that only the New York, New Jersey, LA, and Chicago servers worked. All other regions were permanently blocked.

When one of these servers suddenly stopped working, there wasn’t always a compatible server outside of the blackout area. It also struggled more than other services to stream on Fire TV and Android TV.

NordVPN is still a good option, but there are much better services available if you need to stream on your TV or need more reliable access.

2. Private Internet Access

We rate PIA as one of the top VPNs on the market. It comes with dedicated streaming servers, best-in-class encryption, and fast speeds.

However, the VPN failed to access MLB.TV in our most recent tests. Most of the time, we weren’t even able to log in to the MLB website. When we connected to a PIA server while already logged in, the screen was blacked out and we couldn’t access any games.

The VPN’s Smart DNS tool also didn’t work on our PS5. This isn’t surprising, though, as it hasn’t worked with any streaming services over months of testing.

3. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is usually a good option for bypassing streaming geo-restrictions. Its browser extensions stream US Netflix for free and its dedicated streaming servers work with many popular services.

However, CyberGhost does not provide a streaming server for MLB. Instead, we had to use its general US servers and those optimized for other platforms. Unsurprisingly, we weren’t able to access MLB during any of our tests.

In short, CyberGhost is a bad VPN for MLB.TV. We don’t expect it to ever work unless it decides to add a dedicated MLB streaming server.

Other VPNs that are blocked by MLB.TV

Below are some other VPN services that we found can’t stream blackout MLB.TV games:

• Astrill
• Hide.me
• HMA VPN
• IVPN
• Mcafee Safe Connect
• Mullvad
• Norton Secure VPN
• VyprVPN

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.

If you’re physically located in your team’s blackout region, connect to a VPN server in the nearest location outside of the blackout boundary.

MLB blackout restrictions exist to encourage subscriptions to cable TV. Most MLB teams receive funding from these cable TV providers and regional sports networks (RSNs) — over $100.00 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 roughly $60.00 a month, which is almost three times more expensive than MLB.TV.

Nationally-televised games, 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 FOX.

If you’re located in the US, you won’t be able to stream any of these games on MLB.TV, even if you’re outside the team’s blackout area.

Will MLB Blackouts End?

MLB’s blackout rules could change in the future. NESN, the RSN for the Boston Red Sox, 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, MLB blackout rules aren’t changing for the 2024/2025 season. In fact, we expect it to be many years before anything significant happens.

Most of the blackout rules are set in multi-year media contracts and until these agreements expire, we expect MLB blackouts to continue.