Unfortunately, just because you are in the US and have a MLB.tv subscription it doesn’t mean that you will be able to watch all the games. There are live blackouts that will prevent you from accessing all the action of the MLB. Although the MLB promises subscribers to give them access to all the games, there are some conditions that you may not be aware of and that establish that certain games are subject to geo-restrictions. The only option seems to be to get a cable or satellite TV subscription in order to be able to watch even those games that are not available on MLB.tv due to regional blocks.
The good news is that there is another option that you can consider and that is to use a VPN to route all your internet traffic through the location of your choice. This will allow you to appear as if you were located in a different state so that you can bypass the blackouts and watch any game without restrictions. Although the best solution is to get a paid VPN service, it is possible to find plans that are conveniently priced. Even if you pay for a VPN, it would still be cheaper than getting a cable subscription. There are multiple VPN services providers, including ExpressVPN, PureVPN and Private Internet Access. Although you can also try a smart DNS service, VPNs are usually a better method overall due to the encryption that they offer.
Before we go through the steps that you can follow to bypass the restrictions, let’s take a closer look at live blackouts to understand what it’s involved. MLB grants rights to games to different broadcasting companies before the season starts. Usually, a regional TV affiliate like NBC, ABC TV station and the local Fox gets exclusive rights to games played by local teams and these rights are not shared. In most cases, they don’t make live online streams available in certain locations and not even MLB can broadcast the games online. MLB.tv offers a list that is regularly updated and it shows what games will be blacked out.
Due to broadcasting rights, MLB’tv subscribers are usually prevented from watching the games of the teams that they support. If you try to watch the game using the MLB.tv app or visiting the website, your IP address is checked to determine your location. If you are within the blackout region, you won’t be able to access the live stream. All you will see is a message letting you know that the stream is not available to you. You may see different types of messages, but in the end, the result is the same and you won’t be able to watch the game online.
How to bypass MLB.tv blackouts in a web browser
With the help of a VPN it is possible to change your IP address to appear as if you were connecting from a different location. Once you connect to a VPN, you can clear your cookies and refresh the page to stream the game. The majority of VPN services have dedicated clients that can be downloaded and installed in only a few steps. You just need to select a server in a location that gives you access to the game and connect to it. Once you connect to a server in a city where the game is available, you will be able to stream the game without worrying about annoying blackouts. Just make sure that you refresh the page.
In general, the best option is to connect to a server that is closer to you, but that doesn’t fall within the blackout region. Just keep in mind that some games are subject to national blackouts so you will need to connect to servers outside the US. When you connect to a server that is closer to your location, you can enjoy better speeds and high quality streaming. If a game is subject to a nationwide blackout, you can try servers in countries like Mexico, Brazil or Argentina. Canada may work in some cases, but it may also be affected by blackouts in some cases. There are many VPNs to choose from when it comes to unblocking MLB games and other content. ExpressVPN, PureVPN and HideMyAss are some of the best options available and they offer a good variety of servers to bypass restrictions.
Bypass MLB blackouts on iOS
- Jailbreaking your iOS device is required in order to bypass the blackouts. Again, this process needs to be done carefully to avoid permanent damage on your device.
- Once you jailbreak your iPhone or iPad, you will be able to access the Cydia store. There you can download and install Protect My privacy (PMP).
- If you have already downloaded and installed MLB, you can open the stream.
- If MLB at Bat asks for permission to view your location using your GPS, PMP will show a prompt. You will see the option to protect your location, instead of a random GPS location to simply block access.
- It is possible that you need to connect to a VPN to change your IP address in order to use this option.
Bypass MLB blackouts on Android
In order to bypass MLB blackouts, you need to root your Android phone, which is a process that should be approached with caution in order to avoid damaging your device. The root process is different for every Android device, but you can find instructions online for your specific model.
Once you have rooted the device, the next step is to download and install FakeGPS or the GPS location-spoofing app that you prefer. If you have previously installed MLB at Bat, you can clear the app cache data in your device’s storage settings. Then you can try any of the below options.
- Install Hide Mock Locations from the Xposed Module
- Go to Settings, then Developer Options and select Allow mock locations. If you have a new version of Android, select the GPS location-spoofing app that you prefer.
- Open Hide Mock Locations and set it to blacklist mode
- Add MLB at Bat to the blacklist
- Open the GPS location-spoofing app and place the pin in a location that doesn’t fall within the blackout region and where there is a VPN server available.
- Launch your VPN app and connect to a server that is near the location you selected in the step above.
- Now you can open MLB at Bat and stream the game
The other option you have is to move the GPS app from /data/app to /system/app with the help of the Root Explorer or another file manger app.
- Restart your device. Then go to Settings, Developer Options and disable Mock Locations, if it was previously enabled.
- Open your location-spoofing app and select a location that is not within the blackout area.
- Open the VPN client and connect to a server that is near the location you selected in the above step.
- Open MLB at Bat. You should now be able to start watching the game.
