By Phillip Swann
TV Answer Man,  @tvanswerman

TV Answer Man, I can’t understand why MLB TV has such a high price when it has blackouts of our local team, the Texas Rangers. I would like to subscribe but come on, $149.99 and you can’t watch your team?!! Do you have any suggestions? — Annie, Plano, Texas. 

Annie, MLB TV announced last month that it was raising the price of the 2023 plan by $10 to $149.99; the 2022 regular season price was $139.99. In addition, there are no pre-season discounts, which have been available in past years.

And you’re right. The plan doesn’t deliver the games of your in-market team although it does provide both the home and road broadcast of every other team as well as other convenient features such as archives of past games, spring training games, and new this year, 7,000 minor league games. You can also stream the games on roughly 400 different devices, including your TV if it’s connected to the Internet.

But what if you want to pay less for MLB TV and watch your home team? Is it possible?

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Answer: Yes.

1. Beat the High Price
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association this year is again offering 50 percent off the online package of out-of-market regular season MLB games for every contribution of $25 or more. With the 2023 MLB.TV now selling for $149.99, that would bring your price to just $75.

Of course, if you include the $25 contribution, the price would be $100 but that’s still a $50 savings over the regular MLB.TV price.

Click Amazon: Today’s Deals of the Day.

The MLBPAA last year offered the 50 percent discount on MLB TV in March and early April but dropped it in mid-April. However, it’s now available again at the organization’s site here. You can also get 10 percent off products purchased at MLB.com for your $25 donation.

You might want to act fast to take advantage of this offer. The MLBPAA says it’s available while supplies last. The group says members will receive redemption information for the MLB TV discount via e-mail sometime up to 72 hours after signing up. (There will also be just one unique URL per member during the calendar year to avoid sharing with non-members.)

Click Amazon: Today’s Deals of the Day.

2. Beat the MLB Blackouts Of Home Teams
You can avoid in-market blackouts on MLB TV by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The VPN is a software that you can download that will enable you to use an IP address different from your own.

For instance, if you live in Scottsdale, Arizona, you could insert an IP address supplied by the VPN company that would say you live in Denmark. Then, you could subscribe to the MLB.TV online package and watch the Arizona Diamondbacks on Bally Sports Arizona because the the IP address wouldn’t say Scottsdale.

A year ago, I asked a MLB spokesperson three questions regarding VPNs and MLB.TV:

1. Is MLB opposed to the use of VPNs to watch MLB.TV?
2. Has MLB ever sued a MLB TV subscriber for using a VPN?
3. Has MLB ever sought criminal charges against a MLB TV subscriber for using a VPN?

After four separate inquiries over a week, the spokesperson finally answered:

1. No comment.
2. No.
3. No.

For the first time, MLB acknowledged it had never tried to sue or prosecute anyone for VPN use and the league didn’t even have a position on whether it opposes the use of VPNs.

This certainly runs counter to the public perception that MLB is trying to crack down on VPN use and is prepared to use the courts when necessary. This is not to suggest that MLB is saying you should use a VPN. (The pay TV services that pay handsomely to carry regional sports channels wouldn’t appreciate that. If everyone used a VPN for MLB TV, they wouldn’t need to subscribe to the pay TV services.) But the league certainly isn’t telling you not to use a VPN.

In the past when addressing this topic, I’ve noted there’s also an ethical question here. By using a VPN, you are clearly attempting to “circumvent” a blackout restriction, which is against the MLB TV rules. But the league’s current neutral stance on VPN use would seem to soften that concern.

Before you start searching for a VPN, however, allow me to caution that I am not an attorney and this article does not constitute legal advice in any way, shape or form. But I think this new information is very valuable to cord-cutters anxious to watch their home team during the 2023 season.

Annie, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman