MLB Blackout Map 2026: Why Is MLB.TV Blacked Out in My Area?

Quick answer: MLB.TV blacks out games that are broadcast locally in your market. If your team's RSN covers your county, that game is unavailable on MLB.TV. You need the local RSN or a live TV streaming service that carries it. Use the interactive map below to see your exact blackout territory.

Check your blackout zone

Select your team below to see which counties can watch on local TV, which are blacked out on MLB.TV, and where the out-of-market zone begins.

Hover any region on the map to see exactly what service you need in that area. Green counties have full MLB.TV access. Team-colored counties require a local broadcast option.

Why does MLB.TV black out local games?

MLB.TV is an out-of-market streaming product. The league sells local broadcast rights to regional sports networks, and as part of those deals, MLB agrees to black out games in the RSN's territory on MLB.TV.

The logic from MLB's perspective: if you could watch your team on MLB.TV for $20/month, nobody would pay for the local RSN. So the league enforces geographic blackouts by county, using the same territory maps that define where each RSN has exclusive rights.

The result is frustrating but intentional. MLB.TV is built for fans who live outside their team's market, not for fans who live inside it.

How blackout territories are determined

Blackout territories are assigned by county, not by state or metro area. A fan in a suburban county on the edge of a market may be blacked out while a fan in a neighboring county has full MLB.TV access.

Each team's territory is defined by MLB and tied to their local RSN deal. The territories were drawn years ago and don't always reflect how people actually live or move around today. A fan who grew up in Kansas City but now lives in a Kansas county on the edge of the Royals territory may still be blacked out, even if they're hours from KC.

The map above reflects the actual county-level territory data from MLB's blackout system. It's the same data that MLB.TV uses to decide whether to block your stream.

Which teams have the biggest blackout zones?

Some teams have unusually large blackout footprints:

Kansas City Royals: Blacked out across most of the central US, including large portions of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Arkansas. Fans in states with no local team still get blacked out.

Colorado Rockies: Covers the entire Rocky Mountain region, blacking out fans across Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and New Mexico even though those states have no MLB team of their own.

Minnesota Twins: Covers most of the upper Midwest including the Dakotas, which have no local team and no RSN option for Twins games.

These oversized territories are a legacy of how RSN deals were structured in the 1990s and 2000s. They haven't been meaningfully updated to reflect the streaming era.

What are your options if you're blacked out?

If MLB.TV blacks out your team's games, you have three realistic paths:

Get the local RSN. For the 14 teams now distributed through MLB Local Media (Mariners, Twins, Brewers, Cardinals, and others), that means subscribing to MLB.TV's local package or the ESPN App, around $20/month or $100/season. For teams on traditional RSNs like YES Network (Yankees) or NESN (Red Sox), you need a live TV streaming service like FuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM that carries that RSN.

Watch on a national platform when available. Games on Apple TV+, Peacock, ESPN, Fox, or Netflix are not subject to RSN blackouts. These are nationally distributed and available regardless of your location. The catch is that these only cover a fraction of the season.

Watch at a sports bar. Commercial broadcast rights work differently than consumer streaming. A bar with a cable or satellite subscription can legally show any game. If you're blacked out at home, a local bar showing your team is a legitimate option.

There is no legal workaround for RSN blackouts on MLB.TV. VPNs violate MLB's terms of service and can result in account suspension.

Why did my team move to MLB Local Media?

In 2023 and 2024, the regional sports network model collapsed. Bally Sports (later rebranded Main Street Sports Group / FanDuel Sports Network) filed for bankruptcy, and most of its MLB team deals unwound. MLB stepped in with MLB Local Media, a league-run local broadcast operation that distributes games through the MLB App and ESPN App.

For fans of those 14 teams, this was actually an improvement in some ways. MLB.TV subscribers can now add local games for $20/month or $100/season instead of needing a separate RSN subscription. The blackout rules still apply, but the solution is now a single MLB-managed subscription rather than hunting down a specific regional cable channel.

How to use the blackout map

Select your team from the dropdown on the map. The map will color-code every US county:

• Team color: Local broadcast territory. You need the RSN or a live TV service that carries it.
• Green: Out of market. MLB.TV works here with no blackout.
• Amber/orange: National broadcast. The game is on Apple TV+, Peacock, ESPN, or another platform available everywhere.

Hover any county to see the specific service you'd need to watch from that location.

You can also check the full interactive map for a larger view with today's scheduled games loaded automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Does MLB.TV black out playoff games?

No. MLB.TV does not stream playoff games at all, not even out-of-market ones. Postseason games are distributed through national broadcast partners (Fox, TBS, ESPN, ABC, Apple TV+) and are not part of the MLB.TV package.

Why am I blacked out even though my team isn't playing?

MLB blackout rules can affect you even when your team is the away team. If the home team's RSN territory covers your county, that game may be blacked out. The map above shows this by county. Hover your location when a specific game is selected to see which team's territory you fall into.

Can I use a VPN to get around MLB.TV blackouts?

Technically yes, but it violates MLB's terms of service. If MLB detects a mismatch between your account location and your IP location, they can suspend your account. It's not a reliable or safe workaround.

Do blackouts apply to the MLB app on smart TVs?

Yes. MLB blackouts apply across all devices and platforms: phone, tablet, smart TV, and browser. The blackout is tied to your account and IP address, not the device you're watching on.

Are any games never blacked out?

Games on Apple TV+, Peacock, Netflix, ESPN, Fox, FS1, and other national platforms are not subject to RSN blackout rules. They're available everywhere in the US regardless of your location.

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