As an experienced cybersecurity professional fascinated by emerging technologies, I’m delighted to provide this comprehensive guide on using VPNs to access MLB TV during the 2024 season. Baseball fans nationwide know the frustration of blackout restrictions blocking their home team‘s games on MLB TV. But with the right VPN, you can say goodbye to blackouts and enjoy the convenience of streaming baseball from anywhere.
After testing over a dozen top-rated VPNs, I determined NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost to be the best options for unlocking MLB TV. In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How VPNs help you avoid frustrating MLB TV blackouts
- The 3 best VPNs for streaming baseball this season
- Step-by-step instructions to unblock MLB TV with a VPN
- Expert insight into defeating MLB blackout restrictions
- Answers to frequently asked questions about MLB TV and VPNs
Let’s not waste any more time – let’s get you ready to watch baseball live online!
Contents
Why You Need a VPN to Watch Local MLB Games
First, it’s important to understand why certain games are blacked out on MLB TV in the first place. MLB signs lucrative deals with local TV broadcasters for exclusive rights to air games within a team’s home territory.
This means if you live in Chicago, Cubs and White Sox home games won’t be available on MLB TV since the local stations paid big money for those broadcast rights. Even if you pay for an out-of-market MLB TV subscription, home team games are blacked out.
According to data from a 2019 lawsuit, up to half of all MLB games end up being blacked out in certain regions. That’s a ton of baseball you’re missing out on!
But this is where a VPN comes to the rescue. VPNs encrypt your internet connection and reroute it through remote servers, masking your real location. MLB TV relies on your IP address to pinpoint your location and enforce blackouts. A VPN assigns you a new IP from wherever their server is located, allowing you to bypass annoying blackout rules.
For example, imagine you’re in Los Angeles and want to stream a blacked out Dodgers game on MLB TV. Just connect to a VPN server based in another city like Houston. As far as MLB TV knows, you’re now accessing from Texas instead of LA. The blackout no longer applies and you can stream the Dodgers live!
My Picks for the Best VPNs for Streaming MLB TV
After substantial testing and research, I recommend these 3 VPNs as the top options for baseball fans this season:
1. NordVPN – Excellent US server network to avoid blackouts
NordVPN earns the #1 spot thanks to its expansive US server infrastructure. With over 1,800 US-based servers, you can easily connect to a server outside of blackout regions. During my testing, I experienced minimal slowdowns compared to my full internet speeds. NordVPN is based in Panama and has a strict no-logs policy.
Other standout features include:
- Robust security with AES-256 encryption
- Apps for all major platforms like Windows, Android, iOS, etc.
- Optional Double VPN and Onion Over VPN for added privacy
- Easy-to-use interface to quickly change server locations
- 30-day money-back guarantee
2. Surfshark – Unlimited devices covered on one account
Surfshark is a great choice if you want to share your MLB TV subscription across all your household devices without paying extra. Surfshark places no limits on the number of devices, making it easy for families to all use the VPN.
Surfshark has over 3,200 servers worldwide, including a sizeable presence in the US. During testing, I saw minimal impact on my connection speeds. Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands. Other notable features include:
- CleanWeb ad blocking and anti-tracking tools
- MultiHop capability to route through multiple VPN servers
- Camouflage Mode hides VPN activity
- 30-day money-back guarantee
3. CyberGhost – Affordable pricing and free trials
For budget-focused fans, CyberGhost is appealing thanks to low long-term pricing and free trials. Desktop users get a 24-hour trial and mobile users can test it out for 3-7 days risk-free. This gives you a chance to verify it works with MLB TV before spending any money.
CyberGhost has over 7,500 servers worldwide, including optimized US streaming servers. I recorded only minor speed slowdowns during testing. They don’t keep logs or user data. Some other great features include:
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, smart TVs, and more
- Blocks ads, trackers, and malicious websites
- Allows 7 simultaneous connected devices
- 45-day money-back guarantee
Step-by-Step Guide to Watch Blacked Out Games
Using a VPN with MLB TV is quick and easy. Just follow these steps:
1. Sign up for a VPN: NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost all offer apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, etc. Sign up for the service and install the app on your streaming devices.
2. Connect to a VPN server: Launch the app and connect to a US-based server outside of the blackout zone. For example, if you’re in Boston trying to stream the Red Sox, connect to a server in Chicago.
3. Restart MLB TV app: Force quit and relaunch the MLB TV app to reset your connection. You may need to log in again.
4. Enjoy the game! You can now stream live baseball without annoying blackout restrictions based on your location. If a game won’t play, just connect to a different server until you find one that works.
Tip: Configure your VPN router to channel all home network traffic through the tunnel. This automatically sets up any device on your Wi-Fi to use the VPN when accessing MLB TV.
My Analysis of How to Defeat MLB Blackouts
After extensively testing VPN capabilities for streaming MLB TV, I can confidently say that VPNs provide a reliable method for accessing blacked out games. However, MLB employs sophisticated blackout mapping and restrictions can be quite complex.
Regional blackouts are common, but games may also be blacked out in a team’s wider territory and even other teams’ regions. Weekend and primetime games are more likely to have extra blackout rules. MLB also dynamically updates blackout zones so they change throughout the season based on broadcasting contracts.
This means you may have to experiment with a few different VPN server locations to circumvent blackouts for certain games. One city may work for some games but then be blacked out for others. But with a premium VPN like the ones I recommend, you can easily change locations until you find a server that lifts the blackout.
The key is understanding that a VPN gives you full control over where MLB TV thinks you’re located when you stream games. Find a server outside of the blackout boundaries, and you’re good to go. With the guides and advice I’ve provided here, you now have the blueprint to enjoy unlimited baseball streaming this season!
Benefits of Using a VPN Beyond MLB TV Access
While beating MLB TV blackouts is the primary goal, it’s worth highlighting the other valuable benefits a VPN provides:
Enhanced Privacy – VPNs create an encrypted tunnel protecting the privacy of your web traffic from snooping by hackers, your internet provider, or government surveillance.
Public Wi-Fi Security – Connecting to free public hotspots is very risky, but a VPN keeps your data safe when streaming over public networks.
International Streaming Access – If you want to stream MLB TV abroad, a VPN can bypass geo-restrictions to unlock the service anywhere in the world.
Hide Streaming Activity – Streaming large amounts of video usage can seem suspicious to your ISP. A VPN masks the nature of your internet traffic.
Bypass Network Blocks – Schools, workplaces, and public Wi-Fi often restrict access to certain sites and services. A VPN lets you get around these blocks.
So in addition to unblocking MLB TV, a VPN adds crucial security for all of your internet activity.
MLB TV and VPN FAQs
Let’s wrap up this guide by answering some frequently asked questions about using a VPN with MLB TV:
Why are MLB games blacked out in my area?
Regional blackout rules are imposed because local TV broadcasters have exclusive rights to air the games in that geographical territory. This forces fans to watch on cable/satellite instead of streaming.
Can I legally use a VPN to access blacked out MLB games?
Yes, there are no laws or policies against using a VPN to stream blacked out content on MLB TV. As long as you access the content through your paid MLB TV subscription, it is perfectly legal.
What happens if MLB TV detects I’m using a VPN to avoid blackouts?
In most cases, nothing at all. You are simply streaming games through your legitimate MLB TV account. At worst, MLB could potentially cancel your MLB TV subscription if they detect VPN usage against their terms.
Do I need a VPN if I don’t live in an MLB blackout area?
No, a VPN is only required if you need to circumvent regional blackout restrictions to access local team games unavailable on MLB TV. If you live outside of blackout zones, a VPN is not needed.
Can I use a free VPN to watch MLB TV?
In general, I advise against using free VPNs as they lack the speed and reliability needed for HD streaming. They also pose security risks since data may be logged and sold. For guaranteed performance, use a premium VPN like my recommendations.
Conclusion – Enjoy Unlimited Baseball with a VPN
Baseball fans deserve easy access to stream their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. Unfortunately, confusing MLB TV blackout rules prevent many die-hard fans from being able to watch their home team play. But using a VPN gives you the ability to bypass these restrictions.
Of all the VPNs tested, NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost stood out as the top options this season based on server coverage, speeds, and value. Follow my detailed setup guide, and you’ll be streaming your team in no time!
I hope this comprehensive walkthrough gave you the expert insights and answers needed to confidently unblock MLB TV and enjoy baseball streaming from anywhere. Now get out there and root for your team this season!
