Draconian MLB Blackout Restrictions

[Maxbialystock]

I moved to Greensboro, NC last summer and discovered four things: 1) Blackout Restrictions apply here in a state that has no MLB team; 2) my "home team" is the Washington Nationals, which is 250 road miles away; 3) If the Nationals are playing, I am blacked out everywhere--cable, online, you name it--from watching the Sox play; 4) if the Nationals aren't playing but the Atlanta Braves are, I'm still blacked out from Sox games.

I did some cursory reading and discovered that regional networks--I think that's the term--provide about $2.1B in annual income to MLB. Because of that, they insist that the entire country be divided up among them. There are no gaps. One article pointed out that five different MLB franchises have some claim on the residents of Iowa, which of course also has no MLB team.

As for the Sox, only New Englanders can get Sox games live, and I think small parts of CT and RI belong to the Yankees (or Mets).

Feel free to contradict or elaborate on the above.

[Thunder]

It's been like this forever. What gets me now is that my TV provider, Youtube TV, dropped NESN (and YES) leaving us here in CT completely shutout. FWIW, we still have SNY and Mets games because SNY also broadcasts UConn sporting events that are not nationally televised. Not sure what I am supposed to do come April

[notin]

I moved to Greensboro, NC last summer and discovered four things: 1) Blackout Restrictions apply here in a state that has no MLB team; 2) my "home team" is the Washington Nationals, which is 250 road miles away; 3) If the Nationals are playing, I am blacked out everywhere--cable, online, you name it--from watching the Sox play; 4) if the Nationals aren't playing but the Atlanta Braves are, I'm still blacked out from Sox games.

I did some cursory reading and discovered that regional networks--I think that's the term--provide about $2.1B in annual income to MLB. Because of that, they insist that the entire country be divided up among them. There are no gaps. One article pointed out that five different MLB franchises have some claim on the residents of Iowa, which of course also has no MLB team.

As for the Sox, only New Englanders can get Sox games live, and I think small parts of CT and RI belong to the Yankees (or Mets).

Feel free to contradict or elaborate on the above.

Jeff Passan has written numerous articles on MLB's archaic blackout restrictions. It's ridiculous that people who live in El Paso - a scant 9 hour drive from Arlington - can have Ranger games blacked out because they would stubbornly refuse to purchase tickets.

I agree with him 100% when he says "MLB has a good product and they should not go to such lengths to prevent people from seeing it."

[moonslav59]

Jeff Passan has written numerous articles on MLB's archaic blackout restrictions. It's ridiculous that people who live in El Paso - a scant 9 hour drive from Arlington - can have Ranger games blacked out because they would stubbornly refuse to purchase tickets.

I agree with him 100% when he says "MLB has a good product and they should not go to such lengths to prevent people from seeing it."

It's mind-boggling, but much of MLB's decisions fall in that category.

[mvp 78]

Jeff Passan has written numerous articles on MLB's archaic blackout restrictions. It's ridiculous that people who live in El Paso - a scant 9 hour drive from Arlington - can have Ranger games blacked out because they would stubbornly refuse to purchase tickets.

I agree with him 100% when he says "MLB has a good product and they should not go to such lengths to prevent people from seeing it."

Yes, this greed is another hindrance to growing the sport. They have gotten too far away from common sense.

[Thunder]

Jeff Passan has written numerous articles on MLB's archaic blackout restrictions. It's ridiculous that people who live in El Paso - a scant 9 hour drive from Arlington - can have Ranger games blacked out because they would stubbornly refuse to purchase tickets.

I agree with him 100% when he says "MLB has a good product and they should not go to such lengths to prevent people from seeing it."

It's only a 6 hour drive to El Paso to Phoenix. If anything, they should blackout Diamondbacks' games