[{"content":"TheBlackoutGuy.com is a participant in affiliate programs with Surfshark, NordVPN and other companies. This means that when you click on a link to a VPN/Smart DNS service on this site and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.\nWhy I use affiliate links # I\u0026rsquo;ve been helping people bypass MLB.TV blackouts since 2009. Running this site — testing VPN services across multiple devices, keeping up with MLB.TV\u0026rsquo;s changes each season, and writing detailed guides — takes real time and effort. Affiliate commissions are what make it possible for me to keep doing this without cluttering the site with ads.\nDoes this affect my recommendations? # No. I only recommend services I have personally tested and verified to work with MLB.TV. If a VPN stops working or a better option comes along, I update my recommendations regardless of commission rates. I also recommend methods that don\u0026rsquo;t generate revenue for me. Honest information and solutions are my goal.\nIf a product I recommend has a particularly good deal or trial offer, I\u0026rsquo;ll mention it — but I will never recommend a service just because it pays a higher commission.\nQuestions? # If you have any questions about my affiliate relationships or how I test and choose the VPNs I recommend, feel free to reach out at guy@theblackoutguy.com.\n","date":"25 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/affiliate-disclosure/","section":"The Blackout Guy","summary":"","title":"Affiliate Disclosure","type":"page"},{"content":"Tired of MLB.TV blackouts? I’ve been helping fans bypass blackouts since 2009.\nHow to Bypass Blackouts What's Working Right Now ","date":"25 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"The Blackout Guy","summary":"","title":"The Blackout Guy","type":"page"},{"content":"Contains affiliate links. Details.\nI\u0026rsquo;m blacked out of my MLB game. Help! # So you\u0026rsquo;ve purchased MLB.TV and you\u0026rsquo;re sitting down to watch your favorite team and you\u0026rsquo;re hit with the annoying blackout message.\nYou might say to yourself, \u0026ldquo;I live in Las Vegas but I\u0026rsquo;m blacked out of Dodgers games? That doesn\u0026rsquo;t make any sense. Is there a way around this?\u0026rdquo;\nLuckily the answer is yes.\nIf you already know you need a VPN to bypass blackouts, check out my personally tested providers here or just grab NordVPN — as my current top recommendation. I have been bypassing MLB.TV blackouts since 2009. When I first started getting around blackouts, the only real option was to route your connection through a sketchy free proxy server and hope you found a fast one so the stream didn\u0026rsquo;t buffer every 30 seconds. Today the tools are much better and easier to set up. Over the years the methods have had to change in order to combat MLB.TV\u0026rsquo;s countermeasures, but I keep track of the trends and you can consult this guide to stay up to date on the latest working methods.\nWhy does MLB.TV black out games? # The short answer is because of broadcast agreements. Regional networks (like Bally Sports, YES Network, etc.) pay big money to MLB for exclusive rights to broadcast games in their territories. Those networks want you watching your team on their channels and seeing the commercials that pay them on those channels. Some networks, like the Dodgers\u0026rsquo; SportsNet LA, are special channels that require an additional fee for providers like Direct TV or Dish Network to carry. If MLB.TV allowed customers who live in those territories to stream games it would undermine the value of the contracts it sold to these networks.\nWhat games will be blacked out for me? # There are a couple of scenarios under which you will be blacked out of an MLB game:\nLocal blackouts - MLB assigns every zip code a \u0026ldquo;home territory\u0026rdquo; covering one or more teams. You can check which teams belong to your area by inputting your zip code on the form here: https://support.mlb.com/s/game-availability-locator Nationally broadcasted games - These will always be blacked out for MLB.TV customers connecting from the USA. Think Fox Saturday Baseball or games shown on ESPN. Postseason games also fall under the national broadcast blackout rules. Well, I\u0026rsquo;ve already purchased MLB.TV for the season and I\u0026rsquo;m blacked out. What can I do? # Fortunately it is possible to bypass MLB.TV blackouts using a couple of methods. Both methods work by \u0026ldquo;tricking\u0026rdquo; MLB.TV into believing that you are watching from a location outside of the blackout region. What\u0026rsquo;s great about these methods is that not only will you get around regional blackouts, but you will also be able to watch nationally blacked-out games including the playoffs! The two methods are using a VPN service or a Smart DNS service.\nVPN # A VPN or Virtual Private Network works by masking your location to MLB.TV. With a VPN, all of your internet traffic is routed through the VPN service\u0026rsquo;s servers. As a result, MLB.TV will detect the IP address of the VPN service rather than your own IP address issued by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Modern VPN services allow you to change the location of the server your traffic is routed through, thus effectively changing the location MLB.TV sees when you connect. For instance, say you live in Arizona and are blacked out of Diamondbacks games. If you use VPN and chose to connect through their server in Georgia, MLB.TV will pick up an Alanta-based IP address instead of Arizona. In this way, you are able to bypass MLB.TV\u0026rsquo;s blackout restrictions. As an additional benefit, all of your internet traffic is encrypted when using a VPN. This hides your internet traffic from even your own internet service provider, which is a nice security benefit. Consult the bypass status page for up-to-date info on the latest tested VPN service providers.\nSmart DNS # Smart DNS is a less invasive method of bypassing blackouts. DNS (Domain Name System) is what allows internet users to use names like \u0026ldquo;amazon.com\u0026rdquo; to visit a website instead of having to type in a cumbersome IP address. The service that translates these names (amazon.com, google.com, mlb.tv, etc) into IP addresses is normally provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). When you instead opt to use a Smart DNS service, traffic that would normally be routed directly to MLB.TV instead passes through a proxy server managed by the Smart DNS provider. When MLB.TV asks your streaming device to share its location, the Smart DNS picks this up and first routes the request through its proxy. Because the proxy server is located in an area outside the blackout region, MLB.TV sees a valid IP address and authorizes your request to stream. Unlike a VPN, your traffic is not encrypted, which means there is no impact to streaming/internet speeds. Consult the bypass status page for up-to-date info on the latest tested Smart DNS service providers.\nMLB\u0026rsquo;s offical blackout-free streaming option — and its limits # Over the past couple of seasons, MLB.TV has begun to offer team-specific subscriptions that aren\u0026rsquo;t subject to blackout restrictions even if you live within the team\u0026rsquo;s area. In fact, you must live in the team\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Home Television Territory\u0026rdquo; in order to qualify. You have the option to purchase a subscription (usually $99, but some teams are more) that gives you blackout-free access just to that team\u0026rsquo;s games, or, for a little more (usually $50), access to all other out-of-market MLB games as well.\nHowever, even with these team-specific packages, you will still not be able to stream games that are broadcast on national TV - that includes games on ESPN, Fox/FS1, TBS, Apple TV+, NBC/Peacock, or Netflix. For example, the Yankees vs. Giants Opening Night game on March 25 is a Netflix exclusive. Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders are exclusive to Apple TV+. Sunday Night Baseball has moved to NBC/Peacock for 2026. TBS has Tuesday night games all season. And ESPN still has 30 exclusive midweek games. Postseason games are also excluded — Wild Card games are on NBC/Peacock, the ALDS and ALCS are on TBS, and the NLDS, NLCS, and World Series are on Fox.\nHere are links for the 22 teams for which this option is offered:\nAngels - Athletics - Braves - Brewers - Cardinals - D-backs - Dodgers - Giants - Guardians - Mariners - Marlins - Mets - Nationals - Orioles - Padres - Phillies - Rays - Reds - Rockies - Royals - Tigers - Twins - Is this legal? # Yes! In the USA, it is perfectly and completely legal to use a vpn or Smart DNS to bypass geo-restrictions on a service like MLB.TV.\nWhen you circumvent a blackout you are technically breaking the terms of use agreement MLB.TV has put in place, but it is not a criminal offense. This means that MLB is within its rights to cancel your account if they discover that you are attempting to bypass blackouts. However, I have yet to hear of anyone having their account canceled. I have been bypassing blackouts every year since 2009 and have never had any issues. In this article you can read responses from an MLB spokesperson who admits that MLB has never come after someone for bypassing blackouts.\n","date":"9 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bypass-mlbtv-blackouts/","section":"The Blackout Guy","summary":"","title":"How to Bypass MLB.TV Blackouts in 2026","type":"page"},{"content":" Hi, I\u0026rsquo;m The Blackout Guy! # I\u0026rsquo;ve been finding ways around MLB.TV blackouts since 2009 — back when the only option was routing your connection through sketchy free proxy servers and hoping the stream didn\u0026rsquo;t buffer every 30 seconds.\nIt started because I was frustrated. I was paying for MLB.TV and couldn\u0026rsquo;t watch the team I signed up to watch! That felt broken. So I figured out how to fix it, wrote about it on a blog, and it turned out a lot of other fans had the same problem. That original blog helped thousands of people watch their teams, and I kept it running for years.\nNow I\u0026rsquo;m back with a fresh site and updated guides for the 2026 season. The blackout landscape has changed a lot — ESPN now sells MLB.TV, 22 teams offer in-market streaming packages — but blackouts still exist, and they still catch fans off guard. National broadcast blackouts on ESPN, Fox, TBS, Apple TV+, NBC/Peacock, and Netflix still lock out MLB.TV subscribers, and local territory restrictions still cover areas that don\u0026rsquo;t make any sense.\nHow I test # I personally test every VPN and Smart DNS service I recommend. That means installing the app, connecting to a server, firing up a live MLB.TV stream, and confirming the blackout is actually bypassed. I test on desktop (browser), mobile (iOS and Android), and streaming devices. If something stops working, I update my bypass status page so you always know what\u0026rsquo;s currently working.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t recommend services I haven\u0026rsquo;t used and tested myself, and I don\u0026rsquo;t rank providers based on who pays the highest commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure for details.\nWhy trust me? # Honestly, because I\u0026rsquo;ve been doing this longer than almost anyone. Seventeen years of tracking MLB.TV\u0026rsquo;s detection methods, VPN effectiveness, and the ever-shifting broadcast rights landscape.\nIf you have questions or suggestions, you can reach me at guy@theblackoutguy.com.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/about/","section":"The Blackout Guy","summary":"","title":"About The Blackout Guy","type":"page"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/authors/","section":"Authors","summary":"","title":"Authors","type":"authors"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/","section":"Blog","summary":"","title":"Blog","type":"posts"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories","type":"categories"},{"content":"Contains affiliate links. Details.\nI test VPN and Smart DNS services\u0026rsquo; ability to bypass MLB.TV blackouts across multiple devices throughout the season. This page tells you what\u0026rsquo;s currently working and what isn\u0026rsquo;t. The results are based on my own personal testing, not claims made by the service providers themselves. If a VPN happens to stop working mid-season, I\u0026rsquo;ll update this page as soon as I\u0026rsquo;ve verified it.\nA \u0026ldquo;Yes!\u0026rdquo; means I have successfully bypassed blackouts using the provider in that row on the device in that column. A \u0026ldquo;No\u0026rdquo; means I\u0026rsquo;ve tested and it\u0026rsquo;s not working.\nProvider Type Roku Fire TV Stick Apple TV PC Android iPhone/iPad Last tested NordVPN VPN Yes!* Yes! Yes! Yes! ✗ ✗ Sun Apr 5 Get It → Surfshark VPN Yes!* Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! ✗ Thu Apr 9 Get It → Unlocator VPN ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ Sun Apr 5 Get It → Unlocator Smart DNS ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ Sun Apr 5 Get It → NordVPN Get It → RokuYes!* Fire TV StickYes! Apple TVYes! PCYes! Android✗ iPhone/iPad✗ Last tested: Sun Apr 5 Surfshark Get It → RokuYes!* Fire TV StickYes! Apple TVYes! PCYes! AndroidYes! iPhone/iPad✗ Last tested: Thu Apr 9 Unlocator (VPN) Get It → Fire TV Stick✗ Apple TV✗ PC✗ Android✗ iPhone/iPad✗ Last tested: Sun Apr 5 Unlocator (Smart DNS) Get It → Fire TV Stick✗ Apple TV✗ PC✗ Android✗ iPhone/iPad✗ Last tested: Sun Apr 5 * Roku has no native VPN app — this requires setting up the VPN on your router.\nWant more information on bypassing blackouts and how it works? Consult my guide here.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/mlbtv-vpn-status/","section":"The Blackout Guy","summary":"","title":"MLB.TV Blackout Bypass Status","type":"page"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/series/","section":"Series","summary":"","title":"Series","type":"series"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"}]