Short answer: MLB.TV blacks out two kinds of game live: your local team's games, because a local broadcaster holds those rights, and national exclusives on Fox, TBS, NBC and Peacock, ESPN, Apple TV and Netflix. Blacked-out games become available as replays about 90 minutes after they finish, and the radio call is never blacked out. The catch many people miss: blackouts follow your device's current location as well as your billing ZIP code, so the games you can watch change when you travel.
At a glance
MLB.TV blackouts in 2026
| Local team | Blacked out live |
| National exclusives | Blacked out live, everywhere in the US |
| Replays | About 90 minutes after the game |
| Radio | Never blacked out |
| Decided by | Your location and ZIP code |
| Legal fix for local games | Your team's local package |
Why blackouts exist
MLB.TV is an out-of-market package. Each club sells the rights to show its games locally to a regional broadcaster, whether a regional sports network, ESPN or MLB's own local service. National broadcasters buy exclusive windows on top. MLB.TV fills in everything that's left.
Blackouts have become less severe, not more. As MLB has taken over production of more clubs' local broadcasts, it can sell in-market streaming directly, so fans who once had no legal way to stream their local team now usually do. The rules below haven't gone away, but the fix for them is easier than it was a few years ago.
A blackout is simply MLB.TV stepping aside for whoever holds the rights to that game in your area. It isn't a technical fault, and a better internet connection won't change it.
Local blackouts
Every club has a home television territory, a set of ZIP codes where its local broadcaster has exclusive rights. Some territories are small; others cover several states. A few areas sit inside two or more clubs' territories, which is why fans in places like Iowa, Nevada and parts of the South have historically seen six teams blacked out at once.
Home and away games are both blacked out if your team's local broadcaster is showing them, including games against out-of-market opponents. If you live in Boston, the Red Sox playing in Seattle is still a blacked-out game for you.
The MLB website has a ZIP code lookup that shows which clubs are local to any address. Check it before subscribing.
National blackouts
Games shown exclusively by a national broadcaster are unavailable live on MLB.TV everywhere in the US, whatever team you follow.
| Window | Broadcaster | Blacked out on MLB.TV? |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday primetime | Fox | Yes, nationally |
| Tuesday Night Baseball | TBS | Yes, nationally |
| Sunday Night Baseball | NBC, Peacock | Yes, nationally |
| Sunday Leadoff | Peacock | Yes, nationally |
| Friday Night Baseball | Apple TV | Yes, nationally |
| Weeknight exclusives | ESPN | Yes, nationally |
| Opening Night, Home Run Derby, Field of Dreams | Netflix | Yes, nationally |
| FS1 and MLB Network games | FS1, MLB Network | Usually in affected markets only |
Some non-exclusive national broadcasts on FS1 or MLB Network are only blacked out in the teams' home markets, where the local broadcaster would otherwise have shown them.
How MLB.TV knows where you are
MLB.TV uses more than your billing address.
At home, your connection's IP address and the ZIP code on your account both count.
On a phone, the app uses your device's location. Travel into another club's territory and that club's games become blacked out while you're there; travel away from your own team and its games may become available.
That's why a fan who follows a distant team can find an away game blacked out on a road trip: they've taken the phone into the home team's territory.
Trying to disguise your location breaks MLB.TV's terms and can get an account suspended. It also isn't necessary: every blacked-out game is available legally somewhere.
What happens after the game
Replays: blacked-out games appear in MLB.TV's archive about 90 minutes after they finish, in full. If you can avoid the score for an evening, that's the cheapest solution to many blackouts.
Audio: MLB.TV includes the home and away radio broadcasts for every game, live, with no blackouts at all. MLB also sells cheaper audio-only tiers.
Condensed games and highlights are published after the game and aren't restricted.
Legal ways to watch blacked-out games
Your team's local package. In 2026 many clubs' local broadcasts are produced by MLB itself and sold for about $20 a month or $100 a season, with a bundle that adds all of MLB.TV for about $40 a month or $200 a year. Six clubs' local games are with ESPN, and the rest are on regional networks sold through cable, satellite, live TV services or their own apps.
National exclusives: subscribe to the service that has them, or use a free antenna for the Fox and NBC games.
A live TV service can cover both, where it carries your regional network. Check carefully: several regional networks aren't on every service.
Our 2026 guide to where to watch MLB lists every national broadcaster and what each costs.
The postseason is different
In the US, MLB.TV doesn't carry postseason games live for most subscribers. The exception is Fox and TBS games, which you can watch through MLB.TV if you sign in with a pay-TV provider that includes those channels. The NBC and Peacock Wild Card games aren't available live at all on MLB.TV.
As in the regular season, replays and radio arrive as normal.
Outside the US
Blackouts are largely a US and Canadian system. MLB.TV subscribers in most other countries can watch nearly every game live, including the postseason, although a few countries have local broadcaster restrictions.
Canada has its own rules: Blue Jays games are blacked out across the country because of Canadian rights deals.
Unlicensed IPTV services that promise "no blackouts" aren't licensed to show the games, and they are exactly what MLB's blackout system exists to protect against. See our sports streaming guide for what legitimate options look like.
Quick answers
Why is my team blacked out on MLB.TV? Because a local broadcaster has the rights to show your team's games in your area. MLB.TV only carries out-of-market games live.
Which games are blacked out nationally on MLB.TV? Exclusive national games on Fox, TBS, NBC and Peacock, ESPN, Apple TV and Netflix are blacked out live everywhere in the US.
When can I watch a blacked-out game on MLB.TV? About 90 minutes after it finishes, as a full replay in the archive.
Is MLB.TV radio blacked out? No. Live home and away radio feeds for every game are available without blackouts.
How does MLB.TV decide where I am? It uses your billing ZIP code and your connection's location, and on phones the device's current location. Travelling can change which games are blacked out.
How can I watch my local team without cable? Through its local streaming package: an MLB-produced local stream for many clubs, ESPN for six clubs, or a regional network's app or a live TV service that carries it.
Are there blackouts on MLB.TV outside the US? Very few. In most countries nearly every game is live, including the postseason. Canada has its own blackout for Blue Jays games.
Team territories, local broadcasters and MLB.TV terms change, sometimes mid-season as local rights change hands. Check MLB's ZIP code tool for your address. Checked September 2026.