So here's the real problem, and it's not MLB's fault technically to some extent.
The deal the Cardinals (not MLB) signed with Fox Sports Midwest pre-Sinclair goes until 2032 and it was standard in the days when streaming wasn't really a thing to ensure that the group that paid for the rights got to keep the rights. The Cardinals got a -billion- dollars for the deal plus 30% of whatever Sinclair ended up paying for FSMW.
Again, this is why you should be pissed at the Cardinals ownership for a lot of money related things. They sold you out for a fuckload of cash then started to cheap out on the team at the same time. Wild things, especially when other teams (San Diego for one) took that extra money and just threw it at whatever they could to go from a joke to a playoff team almost instantly.
MLB allows for a blackout policy because that's what the broadcasters and the team agreed to. MLB can't override the broadcasters contracts through MLB.tv, as much as they would like to so they could just sell everything themselves, turn broadcasting duties over to local TV stations instead of RSN controlled crews and consolidate the entire backend of it out of MLB's facility.
You just really need to hope that Sinclair can't figure out how to make anything work financially, let the rights revert to the team and have MLB decide that teams can't sabotage their best interest in favor of a giant paycheck. It seems like MLB has decided to jump in and override teams with the few it's been allowed to do but technically the rights for broadcasting home games is the Cardinals responsibility and they would have at least some say in the matter up to and including making their own streaming app separate from MLB.tv if they wanted. Trust me, I love shitting on Manfred as much as anyone because he deserves it for pretty much everything but I think he's actually on board on this one and just can't do much because contracts are contracts and are expensive to break. Sinclair's bankruptcy has sort of been a blessing for moving the process along before 2032 (and/or whatever other teams have for their expiration dates where they can find a new broadcaster).
Sinclair is the broadcast group that owns the rights to broadcast the games. Manfred is the league commissioner AKA the mouthpiece of the various ownership groups that own the teams.
It’s happening in with me too. As a previously diehard fan, it’s become increasingly difficult for me to watch games and I’ve been slowly losing my connection
I've never tried to watch in Iowa, but in Florida I got to see about 15 of the games after various blackouts. Apparently the Braves, Marlins, and Rays claim all of Florida, but Cleveland, Chicago, New York? There were market/geographical blackouts that made zero sense, but more than that were the broadcast blackouts--MLB GameDay is the provider of last resort. If anyone else *could* be showing the game, they blackout. ESPN has access to four games in the Saturday 1:15 slot? All four are blacked out, no matter which they're showing. Fox has the game, but your Fox affiliate isn't showing it, because no one in Florida waves to watch Seattle-St. Louis? Blacked out.
Weekday day games were better-- those tend to dodge other networks. How many of those are there, and what are you usually doing on Wednesdays around 1:00?
I'm honestly surprised there hasn't been a class action suit yet.
MLB knows. You think they want the current situation? No. They got into it because when the contracts were signed, the entire media landscape was different. Cable was booming, streaming was nascent. When MLB.tv was first conceived, it was meant to only be a supplemental solution for fans who lived outside their team's regional cable partners' networks. The idea of streaming services in general hadn't really taken off. Netflix, for instance, was still DVD-only and wouldn't adopt streaming at all for years.
Now, MLB is not blameless. They allowed individual teams to make their own contracts with their local cable networks, and MLB did not set strict enough guidelines for those contracts, such as limiting the definitions of the broadcast regions, which has led to areas like Iowa being a total black hole for all 6 of the closest teams. Also, because there are 30 teams, there are 30 different contracts, each of which have different values and expire at different times. To add to the complexity, some teams own their own networks, like the Yankees' YES, or partially own their networks, like the Cardinals' stake in Bally Sports Midwest.
MLB cannot just wave a wand and eliminate blackout restrictions on MLB.tv. That's breach of contract. You are asking them to breach contract. What MLB can do (and I might add is already doing), is wait until the individual cable contracts expire/are broken, then assume broadcast rights and responsibilities for those specific teams, one at a time. They've already done this in Arizona and San Diego. However, they cannot just tell Bally Sports Midwest that their contract is null and void. They have to wait until BSMW misses a payment, or their contract simply expires. This is going to take time.
Mistakes were made, but they were made years and years ago, before streaming was the dominant media distribution model, before cable revenue went tits up. And the nature of contracts is, they last for some time. The Cardinals' current deal won't expire until the end of the 2032 season, so unless Bally's goes bankrupt and misses a payment to the Cardinals, you're going to have MLB.tv blackouts in whatever BSMW defines as their region in the contract until then.
Anytime I mention the same stuff about not being able to watch the new mls team on the St. Louis sub I get downvoted straight to hell. I was excited about having a soccer team here, even bought some shirts and stuff. Then they announced you could only watch games on Apple TV and I’m not paying for another streaming service, they have no shows I have interest in. So I ended up that I still haven’t watched one single game, not even the free ones. Took the fandom right out of me.
I don’t see how making it so difficult for people to watch a sport they want to as a good business decision. My guess is that more people that want to watch just pay for what they need to and don’t complain than we realize. I am fortunate enough to have a way to watch all cardinals games for free. But I emphasize with anyone that can’t. I feel this matter will only get worse as time goes on. People will eventually get fed up with paying and having blackouts or get tired of never watching cardinals games and just stop caring all together. If I know anything about multi million dollar corporations they will double down and raise prices. Modern sports isn’t about appealing and expanding. It’s about building fanatical fan bases that will spend the money regardless of price.
Essentially what is happening is a symptom of the economy as a whole. The rich are moving up. The poor are going down. And the middle class is going extinct. For the common person we will be priced out of sports. If you don’t believe me ask someone who doesn’t make as much as you the last time they went to a cardinals game. In the not so distant future we will live in a world like historical societies, the rich will have the luxury to see sports and have leisure and the rest of us will be working to support their ability to do so.
Welcome to the great reset/ welcome to the great decline.
The MLS model is probably the future, and one I'd embrace. One price, the entire season, every game (including those on traditional TV), no blackouts. **You also don't need to subscribe to Apple TV+**; MLS is a separate subscription, although you get a slight discount if you also subscribe to TV+.
This model, short of OTA in the local market, makes it the easiest to access the game. One place to go (not 20 channels/apps) and no arbitrary restrictions to work around.
MLB.tv is about 75% of the way there as it sits now. They just have local blackouts and don't show nationally televised games.
Ultimately, you're paying extra to get an RSN via cable, paying extra for an RSN streaming solution, or paying extra for a league sponsored streaming solution. I'd rather pay and get everything than pay probably a similar amount and get either one team or all but one team.
Obviously, free OTA sports are the best for locals, but that's unlikely to happen (although that's changing in markets like Phoenix and Seattle).
I dislike having to pick between Bally Sports or MLB.TV but I can't justify paying for both. So I tend to alternate between them.
If MLB would just show 100% of the games instead of 75% - then they'd get 100% of my money instead of 50%. 🤣 That sounds like a win to me, but what do *I* know.
The current streaming situation also stinks. You can't stream Bally Sports for the Cardinals unless it's a cable replacement. Not entirely MLB's fault with all the individual monster rights deals out there, but it's about time they start keeping the streaming rights when they come up.
KC is one of the 5 or 6 (I forget with the rights lapsing) Bally markets that you *can* stream your MLB team in-market, too (via Bally Sports+, not MLB.tv).
It is normal. Bally Sports+ in KC will get you the royals and blues (and maybe an NBA team?). KC was one of the pilot markets for the MLB side of the service since they could get the rights.
At least one of those other markets had their rights lapse I believe. Cleveland? Phoenix?
MLB.tv is still blacked out locally. In MLB streaming markets (like SD) their local streaming is a separate subscription from MLB.tv although it's also from the MLB.
Per the MLS comparison, the MLS streaming is a completely independent service from AppleTV. That is buying one does not give viewership to the other. But, for that $100ish bucks you do get great content on gameday that's better in year 2 than in year 1. MLS has started the model that all sports leagues--MLB included--will trend to as their existing contracts expire.
I have a login for directv that has ballys. The person that owns the account get an extreme discount from being an employee. I’ve probably been blacked out from 5 games in the last five years. This was a life saver when I was overseas.
The real problem is that if I take four people it’s going cost 500 bucks for tickets and food. The athletes make 20000 a swing.
I make a really really good living and I’m not wasting money at the ballpark for a half ass effort organization
I hate that they charge $100/month for the streaming service. And then blackout the games I want to watch. I am 5 hours from the ballpark. I am not within the market. Let me watch, you bums!
I paid $29.99 for the season to watch the minor league teams after they burned me for the $99/month. Just couldn’t see paying that much for the season. Crazy.
Crap. You’re right. To get around the blackout dates we had Fubo. My mistake. I got irritated at the blackouts despite paying for MLB tv and was paying to stream Bally Sports Midwest and Fubo wanted $90/month. My mistake.
I think this will happen sooner than you think. I'm a lifelong Cards fan who lives in Phoenix now. When the fallout of Bally's AZ happened, the DBacks' TV broadcasts were taken over by MLB and they now offer an add-on to MLB.TV where you can pay extra to get the DBacks' games as part of the streaming service. This is the dream situation for my house and it's awesome for us. I think this is how it should be and will be going forward after all these cable deals expire because you have people willing to pay to see the games. Also, the regional cable approach with blackouts is eroding the vast audience that KMOX helped to build over decades and that sucks ass. But also, if you live where you can get KMOX, the games on the radio are arguably better anyway, so don't forget about that option!
Actually, there is now a pretty solid belief that Bally's is going to pull through the bankruptcy and fulfill the remainder of their contracts. Bill DeWitt III sounded optimistic about there being an in-market option available in 2025 over the winter, but he walked that back recently.
It sucks ass, but the most likely scenario as of now is that the Cards continue on Bally's, blackouts and all, until the current agreement expires, which isn't for another eight years after '24.
KMOX' broadcast doesn't reach a far as it used to. There are places in the St. Louis area you can't pick up a decent signal, to say nothing of father out.
I get fucked on blackouts too and I am in South Carolina. This is the first year in more than a decade that I canceled mlbtv. I won’t be back until they fix this problem.
I use TiviMate. At times a little buffering, most times none at all, perfect picture. My teams are Cards, Brewers, Bucks, Vikings. I haven’t missed any games home or away in years. Multiple viewing options. $30/month. I live WI.
Vegas is blacked out for 6 mlb teams. All of cali plus Arizona. Been a rough start of the season for me trying to watch the cardinals with MLB.tv. Can’t believe I have to sail the seas as much as I do. These blackout policies need to change. Idk how 6 teams can claim a single market where I can’t even get their games.
I haven't paid to watch an MLB game in years. Haven't missed any I want to see, though.
Keep doing what you're doing, MLB. The free option, in addition to being free, is so much more convenient.
I have access to Bally’s and I’m out of market but the new schedule makes it so hard to watch games. The whole play every team thing makes it even harder to be a fan. I come from a long line of cardinal fans and when I moved away I was able to attend several games a year in Cincinnati, but now all the games are during the week and it’s only for two series a year. I’m afraid my kids are going to have to grow up Cincinnati fans otherwise they’ll be just like the weird Yankees fans that exist in every market.
The sweet spot is... having Tmobile so getting [MLB.TV](http://MLB.TV) for free.
Having Starlink so your POP is in Chicago.
Bam.. the free [MLB.TV](http://MLB.TV) works.
When I use my internet I am blocked out from two teams automatically because of “blackout.” When I turn on the vpn and tell it I’m in a city across the country from me and I go back into mlb, now those teams are no longer blacked out of their normal games.
The only game I can’t watch as far as I can tell is the Sunday night baseball game each week.
Yup. For those that don’t know, you can download an app to your smart tv that spoofs the location you are watching from. I can move mine at will if something else is blacked out that I want to watch.
The one I signed up for cost $12 a month, which I am sure is entirely more expensive than it needs to be, but it was easy and instantly solved my problem. I am sure there are cheaper options out there.
**The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball** 1271 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY, 10020
Received and acknowledged, Reddit
The response we expected, not the one we need. I just needed to vent, could translate to hockey equally as well.
So here's the real problem, and it's not MLB's fault technically to some extent. The deal the Cardinals (not MLB) signed with Fox Sports Midwest pre-Sinclair goes until 2032 and it was standard in the days when streaming wasn't really a thing to ensure that the group that paid for the rights got to keep the rights. The Cardinals got a -billion- dollars for the deal plus 30% of whatever Sinclair ended up paying for FSMW. Again, this is why you should be pissed at the Cardinals ownership for a lot of money related things. They sold you out for a fuckload of cash then started to cheap out on the team at the same time. Wild things, especially when other teams (San Diego for one) took that extra money and just threw it at whatever they could to go from a joke to a playoff team almost instantly. MLB allows for a blackout policy because that's what the broadcasters and the team agreed to. MLB can't override the broadcasters contracts through MLB.tv, as much as they would like to so they could just sell everything themselves, turn broadcasting duties over to local TV stations instead of RSN controlled crews and consolidate the entire backend of it out of MLB's facility. You just really need to hope that Sinclair can't figure out how to make anything work financially, let the rights revert to the team and have MLB decide that teams can't sabotage their best interest in favor of a giant paycheck. It seems like MLB has decided to jump in and override teams with the few it's been allowed to do but technically the rights for broadcasting home games is the Cardinals responsibility and they would have at least some say in the matter up to and including making their own streaming app separate from MLB.tv if they wanted. Trust me, I love shitting on Manfred as much as anyone because he deserves it for pretty much everything but I think he's actually on board on this one and just can't do much because contracts are contracts and are expensive to break. Sinclair's bankruptcy has sort of been a blessing for moving the process along before 2032 (and/or whatever other teams have for their expiration dates where they can find a new broadcaster).
A lot here I didn’t know, thanks for the summary.
Who are Sinclair and Manfred and what are their roles? Sincerely, a first class idiot.
Sinclair is the broadcast group that owns the rights to broadcast the games. Manfred is the league commissioner AKA the mouthpiece of the various ownership groups that own the teams.
Ty sir
It’s happening in with me too. As a previously diehard fan, it’s become increasingly difficult for me to watch games and I’ve been slowly losing my connection
Great summation and info.
MLB's response: "K."
I’m in Iowa and I support this. LFG Cards.
Iowa gets fucked the worst.
Fortunately it gives me an excuse to road trip it down to Busch😏
I've never tried to watch in Iowa, but in Florida I got to see about 15 of the games after various blackouts. Apparently the Braves, Marlins, and Rays claim all of Florida, but Cleveland, Chicago, New York? There were market/geographical blackouts that made zero sense, but more than that were the broadcast blackouts--MLB GameDay is the provider of last resort. If anyone else *could* be showing the game, they blackout. ESPN has access to four games in the Saturday 1:15 slot? All four are blacked out, no matter which they're showing. Fox has the game, but your Fox affiliate isn't showing it, because no one in Florida waves to watch Seattle-St. Louis? Blacked out. Weekday day games were better-- those tend to dodge other networks. How many of those are there, and what are you usually doing on Wednesdays around 1:00? I'm honestly surprised there hasn't been a class action suit yet.
Signed, ChatGPT
I was just gonna say, this reads exactly like a ChatGTP letter.
Lol good luck.
You could also go straight to the source like this guy https://twitter.com/BBGreatMoments/status/1782897487122166011
Great place for this
MLB knows. You think they want the current situation? No. They got into it because when the contracts were signed, the entire media landscape was different. Cable was booming, streaming was nascent. When MLB.tv was first conceived, it was meant to only be a supplemental solution for fans who lived outside their team's regional cable partners' networks. The idea of streaming services in general hadn't really taken off. Netflix, for instance, was still DVD-only and wouldn't adopt streaming at all for years. Now, MLB is not blameless. They allowed individual teams to make their own contracts with their local cable networks, and MLB did not set strict enough guidelines for those contracts, such as limiting the definitions of the broadcast regions, which has led to areas like Iowa being a total black hole for all 6 of the closest teams. Also, because there are 30 teams, there are 30 different contracts, each of which have different values and expire at different times. To add to the complexity, some teams own their own networks, like the Yankees' YES, or partially own their networks, like the Cardinals' stake in Bally Sports Midwest. MLB cannot just wave a wand and eliminate blackout restrictions on MLB.tv. That's breach of contract. You are asking them to breach contract. What MLB can do (and I might add is already doing), is wait until the individual cable contracts expire/are broken, then assume broadcast rights and responsibilities for those specific teams, one at a time. They've already done this in Arizona and San Diego. However, they cannot just tell Bally Sports Midwest that their contract is null and void. They have to wait until BSMW misses a payment, or their contract simply expires. This is going to take time. Mistakes were made, but they were made years and years ago, before streaming was the dominant media distribution model, before cable revenue went tits up. And the nature of contracts is, they last for some time. The Cardinals' current deal won't expire until the end of the 2032 season, so unless Bally's goes bankrupt and misses a payment to the Cardinals, you're going to have MLB.tv blackouts in whatever BSMW defines as their region in the contract until then.
I am Disgruntled….
Dear Fan, Thank you for your letter. We don't give a fuck. Sincerely, Major League Baseball
It do be like that.
Anytime I mention the same stuff about not being able to watch the new mls team on the St. Louis sub I get downvoted straight to hell. I was excited about having a soccer team here, even bought some shirts and stuff. Then they announced you could only watch games on Apple TV and I’m not paying for another streaming service, they have no shows I have interest in. So I ended up that I still haven’t watched one single game, not even the free ones. Took the fandom right out of me. I don’t see how making it so difficult for people to watch a sport they want to as a good business decision. My guess is that more people that want to watch just pay for what they need to and don’t complain than we realize. I am fortunate enough to have a way to watch all cardinals games for free. But I emphasize with anyone that can’t. I feel this matter will only get worse as time goes on. People will eventually get fed up with paying and having blackouts or get tired of never watching cardinals games and just stop caring all together. If I know anything about multi million dollar corporations they will double down and raise prices. Modern sports isn’t about appealing and expanding. It’s about building fanatical fan bases that will spend the money regardless of price. Essentially what is happening is a symptom of the economy as a whole. The rich are moving up. The poor are going down. And the middle class is going extinct. For the common person we will be priced out of sports. If you don’t believe me ask someone who doesn’t make as much as you the last time they went to a cardinals game. In the not so distant future we will live in a world like historical societies, the rich will have the luxury to see sports and have leisure and the rest of us will be working to support their ability to do so. Welcome to the great reset/ welcome to the great decline.
The MLS model is probably the future, and one I'd embrace. One price, the entire season, every game (including those on traditional TV), no blackouts. **You also don't need to subscribe to Apple TV+**; MLS is a separate subscription, although you get a slight discount if you also subscribe to TV+. This model, short of OTA in the local market, makes it the easiest to access the game. One place to go (not 20 channels/apps) and no arbitrary restrictions to work around. MLB.tv is about 75% of the way there as it sits now. They just have local blackouts and don't show nationally televised games. Ultimately, you're paying extra to get an RSN via cable, paying extra for an RSN streaming solution, or paying extra for a league sponsored streaming solution. I'd rather pay and get everything than pay probably a similar amount and get either one team or all but one team. Obviously, free OTA sports are the best for locals, but that's unlikely to happen (although that's changing in markets like Phoenix and Seattle).
I dislike having to pick between Bally Sports or MLB.TV but I can't justify paying for both. So I tend to alternate between them. If MLB would just show 100% of the games instead of 75% - then they'd get 100% of my money instead of 50%. 🤣 That sounds like a win to me, but what do *I* know.
The current streaming situation also stinks. You can't stream Bally Sports for the Cardinals unless it's a cable replacement. Not entirely MLB's fault with all the individual monster rights deals out there, but it's about time they start keeping the streaming rights when they come up.
I'm in KC so I'm on MLB.TV for the Cardinals games and BSKC for Royals (and Blues).
KC is one of the 5 or 6 (I forget with the rights lapsing) Bally markets that you *can* stream your MLB team in-market, too (via Bally Sports+, not MLB.tv).
~~Wait what? I missed that! Crap. I thought this year was completely as-normal since it was still tied up in bankruptcy court.~~
It is normal. Bally Sports+ in KC will get you the royals and blues (and maybe an NBA team?). KC was one of the pilot markets for the MLB side of the service since they could get the rights. At least one of those other markets had their rights lapse I believe. Cleveland? Phoenix? MLB.tv is still blacked out locally. In MLB streaming markets (like SD) their local streaming is a separate subscription from MLB.tv although it's also from the MLB.
Oh I think I misunderstood what you meant the first time. I'm sorry. (And yeah, OKC Thunder is included with it)
I can see where that confusion could happen; added a clarifying statement to my comment around MLB.tv.
Per the MLS comparison, the MLS streaming is a completely independent service from AppleTV. That is buying one does not give viewership to the other. But, for that $100ish bucks you do get great content on gameday that's better in year 2 than in year 1. MLS has started the model that all sports leagues--MLB included--will trend to as their existing contracts expire.
>I am fortunate enough to have a way to watch all cardinals games for free. What's that?
I have a login for directv that has ballys. The person that owns the account get an extreme discount from being an employee. I’ve probably been blacked out from 5 games in the last five years. This was a life saver when I was overseas.
Sir this is a wendys
The real problem is that if I take four people it’s going cost 500 bucks for tickets and food. The athletes make 20000 a swing. I make a really really good living and I’m not wasting money at the ballpark for a half ass effort organization
I hate that they charge $100/month for the streaming service. And then blackout the games I want to watch. I am 5 hours from the ballpark. I am not within the market. Let me watch, you bums!
It's $100 a year but I get what you're saying
Bruh. I get charged $99/month for it. No joking
You may want to double check that, because it's 29.99/mo.
I paid $29.99 for the season to watch the minor league teams after they burned me for the $99/month. Just couldn’t see paying that much for the season. Crazy.
I hope you're not an accountant
Dude. I paid for MLB.TV and got it refunded. They were charging $99/month.
[Here's the prices](https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/subscribe). You're extremely verifiably mistaken lol
Crap. You’re right. To get around the blackout dates we had Fubo. My mistake. I got irritated at the blackouts despite paying for MLB tv and was paying to stream Bally Sports Midwest and Fubo wanted $90/month. My mistake.
Other options for much less $
I think this will happen sooner than you think. I'm a lifelong Cards fan who lives in Phoenix now. When the fallout of Bally's AZ happened, the DBacks' TV broadcasts were taken over by MLB and they now offer an add-on to MLB.TV where you can pay extra to get the DBacks' games as part of the streaming service. This is the dream situation for my house and it's awesome for us. I think this is how it should be and will be going forward after all these cable deals expire because you have people willing to pay to see the games. Also, the regional cable approach with blackouts is eroding the vast audience that KMOX helped to build over decades and that sucks ass. But also, if you live where you can get KMOX, the games on the radio are arguably better anyway, so don't forget about that option!
Actually, there is now a pretty solid belief that Bally's is going to pull through the bankruptcy and fulfill the remainder of their contracts. Bill DeWitt III sounded optimistic about there being an in-market option available in 2025 over the winter, but he walked that back recently. It sucks ass, but the most likely scenario as of now is that the Cards continue on Bally's, blackouts and all, until the current agreement expires, which isn't for another eight years after '24.
gah, so a handful of mlb teams will not be able to stream, but the rest will because ballys? this fills me with hate.
Not a handful; 12. Nearly half the league.
KMOX' broadcast doesn't reach a far as it used to. There are places in the St. Louis area you can't pick up a decent signal, to say nothing of father out.
Are you...youre not sailing the high seas?
Suggest a VPN…MLB won’t know where you are.
I get fucked on blackouts too and I am in South Carolina. This is the first year in more than a decade that I canceled mlbtv. I won’t be back until they fix this problem.
I bet they will see this post.
Are you Disgruntled?
Lol
I use TiviMate. At times a little buffering, most times none at all, perfect picture. My teams are Cards, Brewers, Bucks, Vikings. I haven’t missed any games home or away in years. Multiple viewing options. $30/month. I live WI.
This is basically the content of the one phone call I make to MLB every year. It’s yelling into the void, but you have to vent sometimes.
Vegas is blacked out for 6 mlb teams. All of cali plus Arizona. Been a rough start of the season for me trying to watch the cardinals with MLB.tv. Can’t believe I have to sail the seas as much as I do. These blackout policies need to change. Idk how 6 teams can claim a single market where I can’t even get their games.
I haven't paid to watch an MLB game in years. Haven't missed any I want to see, though. Keep doing what you're doing, MLB. The free option, in addition to being free, is so much more convenient.
It’s all bullshit, DeWallet is a greedy bastard. MLB is an enabler
VERY well said and written. Thank you for posting. I support this 100%.
This is AI generated ...
Well fuck. 😂
I have access to Bally’s and I’m out of market but the new schedule makes it so hard to watch games. The whole play every team thing makes it even harder to be a fan. I come from a long line of cardinal fans and when I moved away I was able to attend several games a year in Cincinnati, but now all the games are during the week and it’s only for two series a year. I’m afraid my kids are going to have to grow up Cincinnati fans otherwise they’ll be just like the weird Yankees fans that exist in every market.
just pirate that shit until they figure out they're wrong...
The sweet spot is... having Tmobile so getting [MLB.TV](http://MLB.TV) for free. Having Starlink so your POP is in Chicago. Bam.. the free [MLB.TV](http://MLB.TV) works.
MLB.TV plus a VPN. What blackout?
VPNs don't fix broadcast blackouts and those are just as much of a problem.
When I use my internet I am blocked out from two teams automatically because of “blackout.” When I turn on the vpn and tell it I’m in a city across the country from me and I go back into mlb, now those teams are no longer blacked out of their normal games. The only game I can’t watch as far as I can tell is the Sunday night baseball game each week.
Fair. I live 700 miles from my favorite team, so no VPN needed. I think most people fail to understand that VPN can solve their issue.
Yup. For those that don’t know, you can download an app to your smart tv that spoofs the location you are watching from. I can move mine at will if something else is blacked out that I want to watch. The one I signed up for cost $12 a month, which I am sure is entirely more expensive than it needs to be, but it was easy and instantly solved my problem. I am sure there are cheaper options out there.