Have I Ever Tried a VPN to Avoid MLB Blackouts? Yes, I Have – Here’s What Happened

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, I’ve read your article on using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to get around the blackouts on MLB TV. Have you ever tried it? Does it really work? — Mark, Plano, Texas.

Mark, many fans report on social media and elsewhere that they use a VPN to beat the baseball blackouts. The VPN, a software which can be downloaded onto your devices, can disguise your IP address so MLB TV will think you are in a different market. Then, your home team’s games will not be blacked out with your MLB TV subscription.

Two years ago, I asked an MLB spokesperson three questions regarding VPNs and MLB.TV:

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. Since that interview, there is no indication that the league’s position has changed nor prosecuted or sued someone who has used a VPN while watching MLB TV.

This 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 actively telling you not to use a VPN.

But does a VPN actually work to avoid the blackouts?

In my articles on VPNs, I have noted that there are numerous accounts from fans saying they have had success with VPN, but I also note that some people say it doesn’t work for them. After all, technology is not perfect, a point I often make here.

So last Saturday, I tried downloading a VPN on my iPad to see if I could avoid a blackout of a Washington Nationals game on MLB TV. (I live in the Washington, D.C. area.) The VPN I purchased was Nord VPN, which ZDNet.com has said is one of the best for iPads. The cost was $12.99 for a month. (I wasn’t planning on doing this after the initial test so a monthly sub was plenty.)

The download went smoothly and, after turning the iPad’s VPN setting to On, my IP address soon showed that I was in the Chicago area. Then I went to the MLB TV app and clicked on the Nationals-Red Sox game.

The result: Blackout, baby. I was still blacked out.

I tried a few tweaks such as turning off my Location settings and changing the VPN address to a different place, including the Bahamas. But there was no change. The game was still blacked out on my iPad.

There may be a few VPN experts out there who might know why, but the VPN did not work for me. That doesn’t mean it won’t work, but only that it didn’t work for me. On my iPad. In my home. And for this particular Nationals game. As I noted earlier, many, many fans say they have little or no issues fooling MLB TV with a VPN. So it does work. But not for me.

I thought this would be a helpful story for anyone thinking of using a VPN. And if you have comments on VPNs and blackouts, please share them below in our Comments section.

Happy viewing and stay safe!

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.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.