How to watch blackout MLB games in 2023

Updated: September 21, 2023

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The 2023 MLB season has already featured no-hitters (and a perfect game!), surprising divisional races, and even more Shohei Ohtani greatness. The Atlanta Braves entered the All-Star Break as favorites to win the World Series for the second time in three years, with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers not far behind. Meanwhile, heavy spenders like the New York Mets and San Diego Padres face missing the postseason. Then, there’s the New York Yankees, who are on pace for their first losing season since 1992.

The 2023 MLB season features a revamped schedule, international showdowns, and intriguing rule changes. The season officially kicked off on Thursday, March 30, when Yankees star and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge crushed a home run on his first swing of the season.

Whether you’re looking to find the best way to watch the MLB using MLB.TV, or test cord-cutting services that include MLB action, you can do it all with the help of a VPN. Read on for all the ways to watch MLB games live online.

How to watch MLB.tv in 2023 with a VPN

The easiest way to watch every MLB game is with an MLB.TV subscription. MLB.TV is available globally, and ExpressVPN works seamlessly with MLB.TV to ensure you can stream the action privately and securely.

MLB.tv

Price: 25 USD/month or 95 USD/season

The MLB.tv app is the most comprehensive and affordable option for streaming the entire MLB season. By connecting to a VPN server location where games are not being broadcast, you can avoid MLB blackouts and even choose which broadcast you want to watch (from the home or visiting team). The service comes with a seven-day free trial, and also offers a monthly option. New to 2023 is the ability to stream minor-league games, including all 60 Triple-A and Double-A clubs.

MLB.TV International users can live stream the Home Run Derby, All-Star Game, and postseason without blackouts.

Note as of June 12, you can pay 45 USD for the rest of the season for a single-team plan through Prime Video channels.

To privately and securely stream MLB games live in blazing-fast HD with unlimited bandwidth:

  1. Get ExpressVPN.
  2. Download the ExpressVPN app to your smart TV, mobile phone, tablet, or other preferred streaming device.
  3. Connect to your preferred secure U.S. server location.
  4. Head to MLB.TV and sign up for the free trial.
  5. Batter up!

While you can watch baseball all season long by connecting to a VPN server location in a country other than your own, doing so may infringe upon your streaming service’s and ExpressVPN’s terms of use. ExpressVPN is a security and privacy tool, not intended to be used for copyright circumvention. By design, we cannot see or control what you do when connected to our VPN service, so we must insist that you respect the entertainment industry and always honor the terms of use.

How to watch 2023 MLB games without blackouts

MLB.TV is great and fantastically comprehensive, you still have to worry about blackouts. To avoid MLB blackouts, you need to connect to a secure VPN server location where games are not being aired.

If you’re in Boston, for example, and Red Sox games are being broadcast on TV, connect to a VPN server location in another city or country, and watch the MLB.tv stream privately, securely, and free from bandwidth throttling by your ISP. If a game is on the national blackouts list, connect instead through an international server in a country like the Netherlands, Japan, or the UK.

Best VPN for MLB blackout games

ExpressVPN allows you to safely and securely stream every MLB game. You can use MLB.TV and ExpressVPN on various devices, including tablets and gaming consoles.

To set up ExpressVPN on your device, follow the corresponding link below:

Note that MLB.TV will allow you to stream the All-Star Game and every playoff game through the World Series so long as you can authenticate a TV service provider.

Where to watch MLB games online without cable

With ExpressVPN, you can stream MLB games on both national broadcasters—including ESPN, TBS, FS1, and Fox—as well as regional sports networks. All national channels are available through cord-cutting services. Some platforms, such as DirecTV Stream, also carry regional sports networks like YES and NESN.

Watching on a computer? For the best streaming experience, be sure to use the ExpressVPN browser extension for ChromeFirefox, or Edge.

Sling TV

Price: Varies

Sling TV includes channels that carry MLB games, such as ESPN, MLB Network, TBS, Fox, and FS1, as well as some regional sports networks.

To get all of these channels, you’ll need to get Sling Orange as well as Sling Blue (a combined package currently costs 30 USD). Use the “Sports Extra” add-on for Sling TV in order to watch MLB Network for an extra 10 USD/month. Please note that Sling no longer offers a free trial as of June 2023.

Fubo

Price: 75 USD/month

Channels: TBS, ESPN

Country: U.S.

On the downside, Fubo does not offer TBS, which airs national games on Tuesdays and select postseason games. But on the plus side, it’s one of the few cord-cutting services to offer select regional sports networks like Marquee Sports Network (Cubs), NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants), NESN (Red Sox), and Root Sports Northwest (Mariners). Note that for games on regional sports networks, the teams available to you will be determined by the home zip code on your billing account. In addition, the “Sports Plus” package that includes MLB Network costs an additional 11 USD per month. Fubo also announced that it will include MLB.TV as an add-on for 25 USD/month, though standard bloackout rules still apply. Fubo comes with a 7-day free trial.

Note: You will need a U.S. credit/debit card to subscribe. The billing address used may determine which local channels are available, and you may be unable to change your location.

DirecTV Stream

Price: 70 USD/month

DirecTV Stream is on the pricier side but if you prefer a cord-cutting service over an additional streaming app, it’s the best option as the “Choice” package (90 USD/month) includes regional sports networks like YES, NESN, and the Dodgers’ Spectrum SportsNet LA. DirecTV offers a 5-day free trial.

YouTube TV

Price: 73 USD/month and up

For comprehensive coverage across the season, YouTube TV offers channels that cover MLB games and the subscription costs 73 USD/month. However, note that YouTube TV dropped MLB Network on January 31 amid a carriage dispute. Both sides have publicly made it clear they hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible. If you don’t feel like committing to YouTube TV, use the 5-day free trial.

Want it on the big screen? Learn about all the ways to get ExpressVPN on your TV.

Amazon Prime Video

Price: 25 USD/month for the MLB.tv add-on

Amazon Prime offers MLB.tv as an add-on for 25 USD/month (on top of the regular 139 USD annual membership). There’s a 30-day free trial available. Note as of June 12, you can pay 45 USD for the rest of the season for a single-team plan through Prime Video channels.

Hulu+Live TV

Price: 70 USD/month

Hulu+Live TV offers most of the national channels broadcasting MLB except for the MLB Network and regional sports networks.

Sky Sports

Price: 22 GBP/month and up

Channels: Sky Sports

Living in the UK? Sky Sports is your best bet for catching live streams of the games. You will also need to provide a valid postal code and a UK/Ireland credit or debit card.

If you have a Sky subscription, you can stream content with Sky Go by connecting to a secure server location in the UK and then logging in to your Sky Go account.

MLB Games of the Week

The 2023 MLB season is underway, and ExpressVPN has you covered with the best games of the week to stream. You can find the daily schedule here, and remember that most games are available via MLB.TV International. However, we have noted any games below, such as AppleTV+’s Friday night outings, that cannot be watched with MLB.TV International.

Reds vs. Twins – Monday, September 18, 6:40 p.m. ET / 11:40 p.m. ET: Catch this one on FS1.

Braves vs. Phillies – Tuesday, September 19, 7:20 p.m. ET / 12:20 a.m. BST: Tune in on TBS.

Astros vs. Orioles – Wednesday, September 20, 2:10 p.m. ET / 7:10 p.m. BST: Watch the game on ESPN+.

Guardians vs. Orioles – Thursday, September 21, 7:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 a.m. BST: Enjoy every pitch on Fox.

Phillies vs. Mets – Friday, September 22, 7:05 p.m. ET / 12:05 a.m. BST: You can catch Friday’s showdown on AppleTV+—but remember, these games are no longer free to stream. You must have an AppleTV+ subscription or use the seven-day free trial.

Dodgers vs. Giants – Friday, September 22, 10:10 p.m. ET / 3:10 a.m. BST and Sunday, September 24, at 7 p.m. ET / 12 a.m. BST: Don’t worry about blackouts with this game, as AppleTV+ will let you enjoy the Phillies-Mets game or the Dodgers-Giants showdown. Watch Sunday’s action on ESPN.

Marlins vs. Brewers – Saturday, September 23, 4:10 p.m. ET / 9:10 p.m. BST: Tune in on MLB.TV.

Rays vs. Blue Jays – Sunday, September 24, 1:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. BST: Enjoy the action on MLB.TV.

2023 MLB rule changes

Baseball games in 2023 will look far different than they have in recent years. Here’s a full guide featuring every significant change, from rules to scheduling, that fans must know about ahead of Opening Day.

  • MLB games have averaged at least three hours every year since 2012, topping out at 3:11 in 2021 before dropping to 3:06 a year ago.The pitch clock is arguably the most significant rule change, especially for those hoping to catch an entire Yankees-Red Sox game. There will be a 15-second timer between pitches with the bases empty and a 20-second clock with runners on base. Like the minors, there is a 30-second timer between batters. Pitchers who violate the timer are charged with an automatic ball, and batters who violate the timer receive an automatic strike. In the case of hitters, they must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark.
  • Additionally, pitchers are now limited to two “disengagements, which refers to either stepping off or attempting to pick off a batter per plate appearance. Keep an eye on baserunners who rely more on vision than speed, such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge
  • Speaking of hitters, you know those shifts that turned a base hit up the middle into an easy groundout to second? Those days could be on the way out, as a defense is now required to have at least four players on the infield and at least two infielders entirely on either side of second base. As with the pitch timer, violating that rule means an automatic ball for the pitcher. Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber are among those who stand to immediately benefit.
  • Bases are now 18 inches square, up from 15 inches square, while home plate will remain unchanged. You’ll likely see more stolen base attempts and fewer potential collisions on the basepaths. 
  • As the NBA and NHL have previously done, Major League Baseball has finally adopted a balanced schedule. Gone are the days of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds playing 19 times a year. Instead, each divisional team will play 13 games against their division rivals and 64 games against teams in the same league. Each team will also play 46 interleague games—assuming, of course, that no games are canceled. Pirates fans are now guaranteed to see the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals, and Oakland Athletics every year instead of every 3-4 years. 

Watch 2023 MLB games on Apple TV+

Price: 7 USD/month (seven-day free trial)

MLB games are back on AppleTV+ for the 2023 season! You can catch Friday Night Baseball throughout the year on Apple TV+. Although the games are no longer free, AppleTV+ does offer a seven-day free trial you can take advantage of. Although blackouts do not apply, please note that the games will exclusively air on Apple TV+. For example, the YES Network will not have the April 21 matchup between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. However, you can still listen to the radio feed either via the MLB app.

MLB Friday Night Baseball schedule

Apple TV+ will stream two MLB games every Friday night. Here’s the full first-half schedule.

Date and timeMatchup
April 7, 2:20 p.m. ETChicago Cubs vs. Texas Rangers
April 7, 7:20 p.m. ETAtlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres
April 14, 6:40 p.m. ETDetroit Tigers vs. San Francisco Giants
April 14, 7:10 p.m. ETBoston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels
April 21, 7:05 p.m. ETNew York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays
April 21, 7:20 p.m. ETAtlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros
April 28, 8:10 p.m. ETHouston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies
April 28, 10:10 p.m. ETLos Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
May 5, 6:40 p.m. ETCincinnati Reds vs. Chicago White Sox
May 5, 7:10 p.m. ETCleveland Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins
May 12, 8:10 p.m. ETMilwaukee Brewers vs. Kansas City Royals
May 12, 8:10 p.m. ETMinnesota Twins vs. Chicago Cubs
May 19, 7:07 p.m. ETToronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles
May 19, 7:20 p.m. ETAtlanta Braves vs. Seattle Mariners
May 26, 7:05 p.m. ETNew York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres
May 26, 7:10 p.m. ETDetroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox
June 2, 5:10 p.m. ETCincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers
June 2, 8:10 p.m. ETMinnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians
June 9, 7:05 p.m. ETBaltimore Orioles vs. Kansas City Royals
June 9, 9:38 p.m. ETLos Angeles Angels vs. Seattle Mariners
June 16, 8:10 p.m. ETMilwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
June 16, 10:10 p.m. ETSeattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox
June 23, 6:40 p.m. ETMiami Marlins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
June 23, 7:05 p.m. ETPhiladelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets
June 30, 7:05 p.m. ETPittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers
June 30, 9:38 p.m. ETLos Angeles Angels vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
July 7, 6:40 p.m. ETTampa Bay Rays vs. Atlanta Braves
July 7, 7:10 p.m. ETMinnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles
July 14, 7:05 p.m. ETPittsburgh Pirates vs. San Francisco Giants
July 14, 7:10 p.m. ETNew York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
July 21, 2:20 p.m. ETChicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
July 21, 6:40 p.m. ETDetroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres
July 28, 7:07 p.m. ETToronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels
July 28, 7:10 p.m. ETChicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians
August 4, 6:30 p.m. ETDetroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
August 4, 7 p.m. ETNew York Yankees vs. Houston Astros
August 11, 7 p.m. ETToronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs
August 11, 10 p.m. ETSan Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers
August 18, 6:30 p.m. ETCincinnati Reds vs. Toronto Blue Jays
August 18, 7 p.m. ETNew York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
August 25, 7 p.m. ETBoston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
August 25, 10 p.m. ETSeattle Mariners vs. Kansas City Royals
September 1, 7 p.m. ETCleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays
September 1, 7 p.m. ETNew York Mets vs. Seattle Mariners
September 8, 6:30 p.m. ETCincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals
September 8, 8 p.m. ETHouston Astros vs. San Diego Padres
September 15, 7 p.m. ETBaltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays
September 15, 8 p.m. ETSt. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
September 22, 7 p.m. ETPhiladelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets
September 22, 10 p.m. ETLos Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants

Watch 2023 MLB games on Peacock

Price: 6 USD/month

Peacock will air 19 live games throughout the 2023 MLB season, some of which will start as early as 11:35 a.m. ET. As with the Apple TV+ games, all Peacock games are exclusive to the app and will not air on regional sports networks. However, International MLB.TV subscribers will have access to the live and on demand game broadcast using their MLB.TV subscription.

2023 MLB Sunday Leadoff Schedule on Peacock

Get ready for another busy season of baseball on Peacock! You can find the full schedule below.

Date and timeMatchup
April 23, 12:05 p.m. ETPhiladelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
April 30, 12:05 p.m. ETMiami Marlins vs. Chicago Cubs
May 7, 11:35 a.m. ETAtlanta Braves vs. Baltimore Orioles*
May 14, 11:35 a.m. ETCleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Angels
May 21, 11:35 a.m. ETCincinnati Reds vs. New York Yankees
May 28, 11:35 a.m. ETTampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
June 4, 11:35 a.m. ETPittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
June 11, 11:35 a.m. ETDetroit Tigers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
June 18, 1:05 p.m. ETChicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles
July 2, 12:05 p.m. ETBaltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins
July 9, 12:05 p.m. ETWashington Nationals vs. Texas Rangers
July 16, 12:05 p.m. ETPittsburgh Pirates vs. San Francisco Giants
July 23, 12:05 p.m. ETDetroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres
July 30, 12:05 p.m. ETToronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels
August 6, 12:05 p.m. ETCleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox
August 13, 12:05 p.m. ETBoston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers
August 20, 1:05 p.m. ETHouston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners
August 27, 12:05 p.m. ETNew York Mets vs. Los Angeles Angels
September 3, 1:05 p.m. ETMilwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

*denotes game that will also air live on NBC

2023 World Series odds

Will Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros repeat as World Series champions? Here are the latest odds according to the FanDuel Sportsbook.

TeamOdds
Atlanta Braves+230
Houston Astros+500
Los Angeles Dodgers+600
Baltimore Orioles+850
Tampa Bay Rays+1100
Philadelphia Phillies+1300
Seattle Mariners+1600
Texas Rangers+1700
Toronto Blue Jays+1800
Minnesota Twins+2400
Milwaukee Brewers+2500
Chicago Cubs+3400
Miami Marlins+4700
Arizona Diamondbacks+6500
San Francisco Giants+12000
Cincinnati Reds+19000

Key dates for the 2023 MLB season

EventDateTV Network
First Spring Training gamesFebruary 24MLB Network
World Baseball ClassicMarch 7-21Fox, FS1, FS1, Fox Deportes, Tubi
Opening DayMarch 30ESPN, MLB Network
MLB World Tour (Mexico City)April 29-30TBD
MLB World Tour (London)June 24-25TBD
July 4July 4ESPN, MLB Network
Home Run DerbyJuly 10Fox
All-Star GameJuly 11Fox
MLB PlayoffsOctober 3-November 2023ABC, Fox, TBS, FS1

ExpressVPN is a VPN service not intended to be used as a means of copyright circumvention. Please read the ExpressVPN Terms of Service and your content provider’s Terms of Use for more details.

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Comments

  1. This doesn’t work all the time. I’m not sure if the MLB app is getting wise to VPNs but the Boston Yankee game last night was blacked out no matter what VPN location I used in the states. I finally had success with a site in Canada, however it dumped every time there was a commercial break and it required reconnecting.

  2. Express VPN isn’t working for the mlb.tv package like this article states. It did work last year. Have you got this fixed yet? The only reason I have express vpn is for baseball and now it’s not working.

  3. Trying to watch MLB.TV on laptop with Express VPN turned on. When I attempt to stream a live game, I get an error. MLB.TV’s website says you may experience streaming issues while connected to a VPN.

    Any thoughts?

  4. I’m using express VPN on Android and my first two games worked, but today’s game is getting blocked. Same team and same city. Any tips?

    1. Hi Richard,

      Please try the connecting to the closest server location you previously connected to. Also, please decline sharing your location with the app if possible.

  5. Why are Astros games still blacked out using a vpn and setting location as UK? I’ve followed instructions. This has been worthless so far

  6. Hello …
    Can you provide me with a streaming site that could provide Fox Sports Midwest via a Roku device?

    Thanks … bud hodge

  7. I have the ExpressVPN service. Can I use ExpressVPN to sign into MLB.TV to stream blackout games and then cast to a chromecast, or will it note that my Chromecast is on a router located in a blackout area?

  8. tried to stream Baltimore Orioles games on IPVANISH vpn using amazon firetv. miserable failure. why would YOUR vpn be better ? and i’ve heard VPN’s have some sort of trouble with Amazon fire products (by FAR the best and most commonly used streaming devices. Obviously your vpn is not helpful to us if it doesnt work with FireTv/stick products ) what’s a roku/ an australian animal ?) thanx

      1. Hello. Can I get around the mlb blackouts with your service. I have a mlbtv subscription and a roku with my Samsung smart tv

  9. I am having the same issue with my appletv too (4th gen) i have my router (netscape) with expressvpn on it. MLB is still blackout through both systems.
    I got this specifically for watching baseball.

      1. I am going through all your youtube videos, and redoing everything step by step hopefully this will work.

        1. This didn’t help. I’ve tried attaching mediastreamer, but everything else is set up through router. I don’t know how to attach this through expressvpnrouter. Any suggestions?

      2. I got it up and working now. I had to add Media streamer to my expressvpn router. Thankyou for all the youtube videos that walked me through this.

  10. I have my AppleTV set up with Mediastreamer and MLB does not work. I then changed my router’s L2PT settings to be out of the blackout zones, and now every game is blacked out. I’ll be honest, this was one of the big reasons for me to subscribe in the first place.

  11. Just got signed up today and used the step by step guide for setting up with a 4th gen Apple TV by first creating a ddns account, then doing the Dynamic DNS Registration, then manually
    configuring the DNS server IP on the Apple TV’s settings. After restarting via settings (per instructions) I still get blacked out of local games. Any suggestions?

    1. Hi Michael,

      A VPN secures your connection and let’s you enjoy baseball streams no matter where you are. Just fire up ExpressVPN, connect to a location near the tournament locale, and you’ll be all set.

      If you run into any issues, be sure to get help from Support: https://www.expressvpn.com/support/

  12. MLB at bat is not working for me. I tried a GPS location spoofer in conjunction with VPNexpress and it still doesnt work. I am using device gps only, not advanced tracking.

    1. Hi Vic,

      Try not to use a GPS location spoofer with ExpressVPN. With a VPN, your IP address is already hidden and replaced by the server address you connect to. If you have further problems, please contact the Support team at https://www.expressvpn.com/support/ for further assistance.

    1. Hi Bill,

      ExpressVPN does not interfere with any streamimg service you choose to use. In fact, it helps you access your favorite sport streams no matter where you are.

      If you have problems using ExpressVPN to watch NESN, please contact the Support team at https://www.expressvpn.com/support/ 🙂

  13. It’s not working for the World Baseball Classic on mlb.tv only watchable in the US. I need help or a refund on my money.

  14. I think MLB has gotten wise to the VPN trick. I’m trying to stream the World Baseball Classic in the UK (where it’s blacklisted). Have used Express VPN to both DC and NY and MLB TV says,

    “We’re sorry. We have determined that you are blacked out of watching the game you selected, due to television broadcaster restrictions. An archive copy of the game will be available 90 minutes after the game ends.”

    Is there a solution to this, or are we stuck?

    🙁

    1. Hi Christian,

      A VPN can help you stream sports no matter where you are. Simply pick a broadcaster that is showing the South African cricket tour, connect to a VPN server in that location, then you’ll be able to watch the games in New Zealand or anywhere else!

  15. Is there any chance that I can get VPN Express to use in Spain and UK while I am away in Europe this month. We are huge baseball fans and don’t want to miss a minute. If it’s possible, can I use wifi to connect in our hotel room? Thanks for your help.

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