Editor’s Note (Updated October 2025)
Major League Baseball’s blackout restrictions remain one of the sport’s most persistent frustrations, but cracks are starting to show in the system.
Since this article was first published in 2021, MLB has taken control of several local broadcast markets after the collapse of Diamond Sports Group (Bally Sports) and others. Teams like the Cleveland Guardians and Arizona Diamondbacks streamed their 2025 games without local blackouts, marking the beginning of change.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has publicly said MLB’s goal for the next media-rights cycle (2026 and beyond) is to “be out of the business of blackouts.” With regional networks shrinking and streaming deals with Amazon and Apple expanding, the blackout era may finally be ending, though many fans remain stuck in restricted zones for now.
TL;DR (Quick Summary)
- MLB’s blackout rules were originally designed to protect ticket sales and regional TV deals.
- In 2025, fans remain frustrated as blackouts continue to block local games on MLB.tv and streaming apps.
- The collapse of Bally Sports and other RSNs has pushed MLB to rethink its broadcast model.
- Commissioner Manfred has said eliminating blackouts is a league priority by 2026.
- A unified national streaming service may finally let fans watch any team, anywhere.
If you’re a Major League Baseball fan to any degree, you know how much everyone hates the MLB blackout restrictions. For everyone else, let me break it all down for you.
The basic idea of a blackout is that if you can go watch a game in person, the league doesn’t want you watching it on TV instead. So those games won’t be on cable TV in your area. Fair enough. But because of the way broadcast rights are distributed across different regional sports networks, the areas that get blocked out can be extremely large—you can’t really go watch the game in person, but you can’t watch on TV, either. And the blackout areas overlap. For example, if you live somewhere like Iowa, where I’m from, six different teams are subject to the blackout rules, making being a baseball fan in Iowa extremely difficult.
Bottom line, if you live somewhere that is considered “out of market,” you’re out of luck.
It’s not just a problem for cable TV, either. Your case is even worse if you are subscribed to MLB.tv, the league’s own streaming service. If you live in the market for your favorite team, MLB.tv will block your stream, placing you in the blackout zone.
While blackout restrictions have long been an annoyance to many baseball fans, the league came under fire during the COVID-shortened 2020 season for refusing to lift these restrictions, despite ballparks not allowing fans in the stadiums for health and safety reasons. As the 2021 season was taking flight, there were hints that restrictions might be lifted, but once again, the league let fans down.
Why is the MLB making it hard to watch baseball? This is the sport people keep saying is dying. While “dying” might not be accurate, the sport certainly is losing loyal fans. I’m talking about people who want to keep up with the teams but (like the rest of the world) have jobs and other outside obligations. Watching the game on the go is the only option 90% of the time, and then it’s not an option at all! It appears that the MLB doesn’t exactly have its priorities straight.
The game is evolving—that’s no secret. With the development of new technology to help pitchers perfect their ball movement and batters tweak their swing, the sport isn’t going anywhere but up. But how will an ever-changing sport fare when the league itself is making the games hard to watch? How will a new generation of fans fall in love with the sport if they can’t watch it?
Fans aren’t the only ones voicing their outrage. Trevor Bauer, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and notorious vlogger, has spoken out countless times about the restrictions that the MLB has placed on streaming games for in-market and out-of-market fans. Bauer’s content creation company, Momentum, even released merchandise this week to raise awareness about the league’s outrageous blackout policies.
The MLB needs to stop punishing baseball supporters and give fanbases more of a chance to grow and develop. In a world where consumers are abandoning their cable packages left and right, blackouts are a horrible disservice to local and distant fans alike. The MLB has a chance to pave the way for a live streaming service for its fans—past, current, and future—and we are all waiting for them to make it happen. We will no longer do so in silence.
FAQs: MLB Blackouts in 2026
Q: What exactly is an MLB blackout?
A blackout prevents fans in a team’s “home market” from streaming or watching certain games live due to broadcast-rights agreements. It’s meant to protect local TV partners, but often blocks fans who live hours away from the stadium.
Q: Why do blackouts still exist if MLB controls more local broadcasts now?
Because MLB inherited complex regional contracts that still contain blackout clauses, the league is slowly phasing these out as those deals expire.
Q: Which teams are blackout-free in 2025?
The Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and a few others whose regional deals collapsed under Diamond Sports are now streamed directly by MLB, with no blackout restrictions.
Q: Will blackouts finally end in 2026?
That’s the plan. MLB’s next media-rights deals (expected to include major streaming platforms) are being built around universal access, meaning fans can watch any team from anywhere.
Q: What can fans do in the meantime?
Check local listings for team-specific streaming options, or contact MLB support to see if your ZIP code qualifies for new no-blackout coverage zones.
Final Thought
Four years after this piece was first written, baseball is still fighting its own visibility problem.
The good news: the game is faster, the coverage is expanding, and the walls around regional exclusivity are finally starting to crumble.
Fans have waited long enough — and it looks like MLB might finally be listening.
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