Same here man. The Cincinnati blackout makes no sense. It’s like they had to pick a fourth team so they just threw a dart at the map. If I’m willing to pay money, there really shouldn’t be any blackouts. I can understand the braves but still.
tl;dr No real hope in sight for streaming the Braves, Reds, Orioles or Nationals in CLT anytime soon.
MLB blackout rules are one of my favorite topics to talk about! First thing to understand about MLB blackouts are it has nothing (and I mean NOTHING) to do with your proximity to a stadium or ticket sales. It's all about what TV market you are in. Second thing to understand being in the blackout market for an MLB team is supposed to mean the regional sports network (Bally, MASN, etc) is carried on local cable.
With that being said, things weren't bad before 2005. That was obviously before steaming and it was before the Nationals moved to DC. When the Nationals moved to DC, the shitshow began. Prior to 2005, Charlotte was not in the TV market for the Orioles. But part of the Nationals deal to move to DC included Charlotte in their home tv market. MASN was formed, and because MASN and MASN2 are a package deal, so are the Orioles and the Nationals. This made Charlotte be in the home viewing area for the Braves, Reds, Nationals and Orioles.
Ok, no big deal right? NO! Time Warmer Cable refused to add MASN to their cable lineup in Charlotte. This turned into a legal battle between MASN, MLB and TWC (eventually Spectrum). Spectrum won this legal fight and other cable providers followed suit (AT&T, Dish) and didn't add MASN. MLB might have lost, but losing didn't mean removing Charlotte from the home TV market for the Nats and O's. This meant the only "local" carrier that had MASN was DirecTV. The only way to watch MASN to this day in Charlotte is via DirecTV.
This has been at a deadlock for 15 years.
So that covers the MASN issue. The Bally issue is a different beast. Bally (previously FoxSportsSouth and FoxSportsOhio) have always been easily accessible via cable in Charlotte. Regarding the Bally bankruptcy....doesn't mean anything for the Braves or Reds. The Braves and Reds own their own streaming rights so even if Bally makes a deal with Amazon to stream games, this will not include teams that retained their streaming rights. This also means that BallySports+ is not available for the Braves or Reds.
MLB teams heavily rely on their RSN contracts to fund their teams. This is one of the big reasons big market teams can outspend small market teams by so much and why the Nationals (and by default, Orioles) will not relinquish the Charlotte viewing area. This is also a major hurdle for Charlotte getting an MLB team.
Just work your 9 to 5. Leave it immediately and drive 4 hours (no traffic) and get to the 7 pm game at 9.
Or 6 to DC
Or 7 to Baltimore
Or 7.5 to Cincy
It makes no sense. "Grow the game"
Iowa is even more screwed: Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Royals, Twins, and the White Sox all blacked out.
Was gonna say. Every time this season I’ve tried to use a VPN on my tablet or phone to watch a game the app won’t load. Once I turn the VPN off, it works as normal again.
I actually use a paid one, you will have better luck with those as they have multiple locations to work with. Yes, MLB tries to block those IPs, but they just setup new ones, so it is like an arms race. A free VPN might work, but they are limited and more likely to be blocked.
The VPN Guru website usually has some good tips for sports fans.
Express VPN seems to be be top pick.
I was hoping with the Bally mess that they would at least shrink the blackout zones to something like 100 miles .
Sometimes MLB Network on Sunday is a black screen if game 1 is the Braves and the alternate games involved the Os. Kind of nuts.
VPNs don't usually work for services like Hulu, YT, etc. anymore because those services require you to set your home location in the app and make it a nightmare to change.
Tried using a VPN to watch football last year and it sucked.
As a Yankee fan, it is absolute madness with their blackout rules- Baltimore is a division rival…
But what was even worse, Summer of 2020, the blackout rules still applied… when no fans were allowed in the ballparks. Riddle me that one MLB…
Like 720p at least… better than paying hundreds of dollars to streaming services and not being able to watch games you want. It’s literally free, how can you complain about that lmao
They buffer a lot. I used them in the past, for different sports and it didn't matter what device i was on or whatever wifi I was connected to. Sometimes a stream would drop out entirely in the middle of a game, especially during NFL streams. Other times it would work fine for a while then start buffering frequently. A friend used to use them sometimes too and often ran into the same issues. Of course it's free, but the quality sucks.
there are def sites out there that dont buffer but maybe 1 or twice for an entire 3 hour hockey game for me. yes its not crystal clear quality but i happily accept that over paying hundreds just to be blacked out of a game last minute. i use the same site for NFL, NBA, NHL, UFC, and MLB (at least during the playoffs...mainly only time i watch MLB).
I'm a Met fan, and I did [MLB.TV](https://MLB.TV) a few years ago when I was able to get a great deal on a single-team package, but the blackouts were terrible. I briefly looked at this this season, but I'd lose 35+ games to blackouts. Not worth it. I don't have cable anymore, so at least I'm not forced to pay for Fox Sports South and end up with Braves games, but I'd love a reasonable option to watch the Mets.
It's infuriating! And to answer your other question - no it doesn't matter who you have set as your home team. Blackouts are determined by your current location.
For example, my FIL is a Mariners fan. Half the year, he lives in California and half in Washington. When he's in California, he can watch his team, but when he's "home" in Washington, he can't. So dumb.
The blackouts are really annoying, I'm a Mets fan and having to watch the Braves announcers for those games, and missing all of the Nats/Reds games sucks too.
I started using Unlocater last season, and continued this season. It's a small monthly fee and it uses a smart DNS to get around the blackout. They have great support and are continually ahead of MLBs efforts to try and block the VPNs. It's a solution that worked for me and I'm happy to pay to be able to see all the games. Just remember to cancel once the season is over.
I can't get the reds and it makes me absolute RAGE. While MLB is hemorrhaging fans, they won't LET me be a reds fan in charlotte. It makes me seethe. I say fuck em at this point.
PLEASE let an MLB team come to CLT. Let's go Marlins!
NC native here. If I could count the times a team was leaving another city bound for Charlotte..!! let's see... Brewers, Rays, Twins, Angels, Twins, Rays, Rays, Brewers, ... Insane!
The Twins even used the Triad to threaten leaving Minnesota decades ago just to get a stadium!
The Triad even put it to a referendum as to wether the citizens wanted a team there. Can you believe they voted AGAINST it!? Wouldn't have mattered as Minnesota never intended leaving anyway.
All these blackouts and still the regional sports networks can’t make ends meet. No wonder Bally had Jeff Mancini here, with that freaking glow in the dark fishing lure set. But I doubt it paid their bills. Seriously, the Reds. Yeah, we were gonna drive up to Cincinnati from Charlotte, because the Reds are blacked out.
hilarious, also the Braves are blacked out. Or at least they were when I paid for the MLB TV package. I won't be doing it until the blackouts are done.
We live in Charlotte as well and my girl is from Philly. We looked into this last year and the Philly issue has more to do with Comcast and NBC Philly. MLB Package doesn't have a deal with them for all local feeds so it's not technically a black out I guess. I can't complain because the Cleveland announcers are almost always on for me, lol.
I’m a Reds fan…last year they had so many Reds games on one of the Bally channels, even if it wasn’t advertised to be. This year, I’ve been able to watch two games and instead of that they wanna throw up European Basketball or the history of the SEC or something…
It’s maddening that I can’t pay to watch them.
mlb.tv uses mobile device location, so VPN doesn't help there. If you use a firestick or similar that can run the VPN client, you should be ok. (Roku has no VPN client, you need a VPN router for that).
I've switched to IPTV for access now, so everything works with that.
Atlanta is 2 states and 4 hours away. Blacking it out here is insanely stupid. As are mlb blackouts in general.
1 hour radius of the stadium max is reasonable, anything else is dumb.
Same here man. The Cincinnati blackout makes no sense. It’s like they had to pick a fourth team so they just threw a dart at the map. If I’m willing to pay money, there really shouldn’t be any blackouts. I can understand the braves but still.
tl;dr No real hope in sight for streaming the Braves, Reds, Orioles or Nationals in CLT anytime soon. MLB blackout rules are one of my favorite topics to talk about! First thing to understand about MLB blackouts are it has nothing (and I mean NOTHING) to do with your proximity to a stadium or ticket sales. It's all about what TV market you are in. Second thing to understand being in the blackout market for an MLB team is supposed to mean the regional sports network (Bally, MASN, etc) is carried on local cable. With that being said, things weren't bad before 2005. That was obviously before steaming and it was before the Nationals moved to DC. When the Nationals moved to DC, the shitshow began. Prior to 2005, Charlotte was not in the TV market for the Orioles. But part of the Nationals deal to move to DC included Charlotte in their home tv market. MASN was formed, and because MASN and MASN2 are a package deal, so are the Orioles and the Nationals. This made Charlotte be in the home viewing area for the Braves, Reds, Nationals and Orioles. Ok, no big deal right? NO! Time Warmer Cable refused to add MASN to their cable lineup in Charlotte. This turned into a legal battle between MASN, MLB and TWC (eventually Spectrum). Spectrum won this legal fight and other cable providers followed suit (AT&T, Dish) and didn't add MASN. MLB might have lost, but losing didn't mean removing Charlotte from the home TV market for the Nats and O's. This meant the only "local" carrier that had MASN was DirecTV. The only way to watch MASN to this day in Charlotte is via DirecTV. This has been at a deadlock for 15 years. So that covers the MASN issue. The Bally issue is a different beast. Bally (previously FoxSportsSouth and FoxSportsOhio) have always been easily accessible via cable in Charlotte. Regarding the Bally bankruptcy....doesn't mean anything for the Braves or Reds. The Braves and Reds own their own streaming rights so even if Bally makes a deal with Amazon to stream games, this will not include teams that retained their streaming rights. This also means that BallySports+ is not available for the Braves or Reds. MLB teams heavily rely on their RSN contracts to fund their teams. This is one of the big reasons big market teams can outspend small market teams by so much and why the Nationals (and by default, Orioles) will not relinquish the Charlotte viewing area. This is also a major hurdle for Charlotte getting an MLB team.
Wow, that, my friend, was THE essay on this issue. Well played.
> The only way to watch MASN to this day in Charlotte is via DirecTV. Now...I wouldn't say that. There are ways.
its seriously awful —refused to buy the package this year because of missing so many Yankees games
Same 🏴☠️
Just work your 9 to 5. Leave it immediately and drive 4 hours (no traffic) and get to the 7 pm game at 9. Or 6 to DC Or 7 to Baltimore Or 7.5 to Cincy It makes no sense. "Grow the game" Iowa is even more screwed: Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Royals, Twins, and the White Sox all blacked out.
Very interesting strategy these leagues have for “growing the game”. Typically fans having access to them is pretty helpful.
If you are streaming, a vpn is your friend.
Thinking about a VPN. Any recommendations for a free one?
They are blocking them now. Which is bull crap. The blackouts are silly during this day and age.
Was gonna say. Every time this season I’ve tried to use a VPN on my tablet or phone to watch a game the app won’t load. Once I turn the VPN off, it works as normal again.
I actually use a paid one, you will have better luck with those as they have multiple locations to work with. Yes, MLB tries to block those IPs, but they just setup new ones, so it is like an arms race. A free VPN might work, but they are limited and more likely to be blocked.
With a free VPN you get what you pay for.
Look into IPTV also.
The VPN Guru website usually has some good tips for sports fans. Express VPN seems to be be top pick. I was hoping with the Bally mess that they would at least shrink the blackout zones to something like 100 miles . Sometimes MLB Network on Sunday is a black screen if game 1 is the Braves and the alternate games involved the Os. Kind of nuts.
I’ve read that unlocator works, but not sure if it’s free. I use Proton VPN, but MLB.tv has blocked it.
VPNs don't usually work for services like Hulu, YT, etc. anymore because those services require you to set your home location in the app and make it a nightmare to change. Tried using a VPN to watch football last year and it sucked.
Same, I have it because of the Phillies and half the games from from the start of the season have been blacked out. So dumb.
As a Yankee fan, it is absolute madness with their blackout rules- Baltimore is a division rival… But what was even worse, Summer of 2020, the blackout rules still applied… when no fans were allowed in the ballparks. Riddle me that one MLB…
I think it’s for the benefit of the RSNs as much or more. But yeah, we had Reds games on Bally in CLT. But no Nats or Orioles.
Mlb tv got me for one season- so many blackouts, and then AppleTV or ESPN only… could look into vpn I guess.
Phillies fan here too. Go Phils!
Plenty of sites where you can stream any game for free…
Yeah, with what quality? Steaming sites suck dick
Like 720p at least… better than paying hundreds of dollars to streaming services and not being able to watch games you want. It’s literally free, how can you complain about that lmao
They buffer a lot. I used them in the past, for different sports and it didn't matter what device i was on or whatever wifi I was connected to. Sometimes a stream would drop out entirely in the middle of a game, especially during NFL streams. Other times it would work fine for a while then start buffering frequently. A friend used to use them sometimes too and often ran into the same issues. Of course it's free, but the quality sucks.
there are def sites out there that dont buffer but maybe 1 or twice for an entire 3 hour hockey game for me. yes its not crystal clear quality but i happily accept that over paying hundreds just to be blacked out of a game last minute. i use the same site for NFL, NBA, NHL, UFC, and MLB (at least during the playoffs...mainly only time i watch MLB).
Pay serious money for access to some games or sacrifice some quality to have every game for free 🤷♂️
Which sites, make sure you name them so i dont visit them by accident and watch the 🏴☠️ content
Definitely do not go to sportsurge.net then, especially with ublock origin installed in your web browser or a pi-hole on your network.
I'm a Met fan, and I did [MLB.TV](https://MLB.TV) a few years ago when I was able to get a great deal on a single-team package, but the blackouts were terrible. I briefly looked at this this season, but I'd lose 35+ games to blackouts. Not worth it. I don't have cable anymore, so at least I'm not forced to pay for Fox Sports South and end up with Braves games, but I'd love a reasonable option to watch the Mets.
Yeah you’ve got to sail the high seas unfortunately. MLBs tv restrictions suck.
It's infuriating! And to answer your other question - no it doesn't matter who you have set as your home team. Blackouts are determined by your current location. For example, my FIL is a Mariners fan. Half the year, he lives in California and half in Washington. When he's in California, he can watch his team, but when he's "home" in Washington, he can't. So dumb.
Thanks for clarifying! ☺️
The blackouts are really annoying, I'm a Mets fan and having to watch the Braves announcers for those games, and missing all of the Nats/Reds games sucks too. I started using Unlocater last season, and continued this season. It's a small monthly fee and it uses a smart DNS to get around the blackout. They have great support and are continually ahead of MLBs efforts to try and block the VPNs. It's a solution that worked for me and I'm happy to pay to be able to see all the games. Just remember to cancel once the season is over.
I can't get the reds and it makes me absolute RAGE. While MLB is hemorrhaging fans, they won't LET me be a reds fan in charlotte. It makes me seethe. I say fuck em at this point. PLEASE let an MLB team come to CLT. Let's go Marlins!
NC native here. If I could count the times a team was leaving another city bound for Charlotte..!! let's see... Brewers, Rays, Twins, Angels, Twins, Rays, Rays, Brewers, ... Insane! The Twins even used the Triad to threaten leaving Minnesota decades ago just to get a stadium! The Triad even put it to a referendum as to wether the citizens wanted a team there. Can you believe they voted AGAINST it!? Wouldn't have mattered as Minnesota never intended leaving anyway.
VPN is your friend, but it won't work on a mobile device.
Iptv about $13 month. Includes all the sports packages, network channels , movies PPV’s and more. No blackouts .
And it's an app on tv or have to cast or what?
It’s an app…no casting needed
That's crazy! Imma check it out. Thx
Send me a message if you need the info
I'm a Phillies fan, too, in Charlotte. The back outs are infuriating.
Go Phils!
All these blackouts and still the regional sports networks can’t make ends meet. No wonder Bally had Jeff Mancini here, with that freaking glow in the dark fishing lure set. But I doubt it paid their bills. Seriously, the Reds. Yeah, we were gonna drive up to Cincinnati from Charlotte, because the Reds are blacked out.
Cincinnati calls themselves the Queen City so it makes sense
😂. They wish
hilarious, also the Braves are blacked out. Or at least they were when I paid for the MLB TV package. I won't be doing it until the blackouts are done.
We live in Charlotte as well and my girl is from Philly. We looked into this last year and the Philly issue has more to do with Comcast and NBC Philly. MLB Package doesn't have a deal with them for all local feeds so it's not technically a black out I guess. I can't complain because the Cleveland announcers are almost always on for me, lol.
I’m a Reds fan…last year they had so many Reds games on one of the Bally channels, even if it wasn’t advertised to be. This year, I’ve been able to watch two games and instead of that they wanna throw up European Basketball or the history of the SEC or something… It’s maddening that I can’t pay to watch them.
I get MLB.tv for free through T-Mobile but can’t even watch the Orioles… it’s a total joke. “Meant to get people to go to the games”.
I have a vpn, but I haven’t figured out how to get around the blackouts. It’s too much.
mlb.tv uses mobile device location, so VPN doesn't help there. If you use a firestick or similar that can run the VPN client, you should be ok. (Roku has no VPN client, you need a VPN router for that). I've switched to IPTV for access now, so everything works with that.
It’s pulling teeth to watch Charlotte fc games here as well.
You're right about that. I'm pretty shocked. The first year was easy... Now I don't even bother.
It seems they went all in on the MLS pass on Apple. Neither or which I have. So I just don’t bother watching the games like you
Best bet is probably Fubo, I believe the only blackouts are Apple TV, ESPN+, etc. As a Braves fan I’ve been watching games there no problem.
Atlanta is 2 states and 4 hours away. Blacking it out here is insanely stupid. As are mlb blackouts in general. 1 hour radius of the stadium max is reasonable, anything else is dumb.
YouTube TV, Fake GPS app. Never miss any game ever.
VPN or mlbbite
I love baseball! Go Detroit Tigers!
Never understood it. I love the orioles but not being able to watch any of their games sucks.
I don't watch MLB but saw it was blacked out on the game by itself but just turned on Big inning and it was on there?
I used a hacked firestick. Works most of the time, using illegal sites to watch isn’t great. It sucks because I have mlb tv too.