Why does MLB have a Blackout Policy? Explaining why fans can't watch out-of-market baseball games in 2023

MLB's Blackout Policy is something that bothers a lot of fans. Sometimes, their favorite team's games will be blacked out for them, which leaves them completely unable to watch them. It is one of the biggest problems facing baseball fans everywhere.

MLB blackouts serve two purposes. First, they are supposed to entice fans to go to the game rather than watch it at home. If a New York Yankees fan is at his house in the Bronx and wants to watch the game, it's much easier to walk down to the stadium than find it on television due to the blackouts.

Second, it keeps broadcast networks happy. Unlike other sports (namely the NFL), each team has their own coverage channel. The Yankees are on YES Network and many others are on a regional Bally Sports channel.

If a fan is out of market, they won't have that. A Yankees fan in San Diego can't get YES Network on their television. Neither can a Braves fan in Seattle watch Bally Sports Southeast.

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Why the MLB Blackout Policy is frustrating

In theory, these things make sense. Experiencing a game live is generally better than watching it at home, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to put Bally Sports Midwest on television packages in the Southeastern region.

MLB blackout forces fans to consider seeing it live

However, they don't work in application. Games are expensive to go to, while they're usually free or at least cost-efficient to watch at home. Plus, a Yankees fan living in Albany can't just go to Yankee Stadium on a whim like that.

Moreover, the game is national, which means fans of a team are likely sprinkled all over the place. All in all, the MLB Blackout Policy is pretty unfortunate. New streaming deals with services don't help, either.