If you’re trying to watch MLB.tv outside the US, you’ll notice it doesn’t work.
Even if you’re already an MLB.tv subscriber, the streaming service still won’t work if you aren’t in the US. This is because the streaming service is blocking your connection.
But, don’t panic, there’s an easy way to resolve this issue. All you need to do is make MLB.tv think you’re watching it from within the US. And the process is incredibly simple. All you need is a reliable VPN.
This article will explain how to watch MLB.tv outside the US with a VPN. And read onto the end of the article to find out the VPNs that work best with MLB.tv.
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How to watch MLB.tv outside the US: Quick Guide
To watch MLB.tv outside the US you need a US IP address. Follow these simple steps to get one:
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Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
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Download and install the new VPN app
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Select a server in the US
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Watch MLB.tv outside the US
Why can’t I watch MLB.tv outside the US?
MLB.tv is a US-based streaming service that only has the rights to broadcast its content in the US.
MLB.tv has copyright and licensing agreements with its content partners that only allow the streaming service to show its content within its broadcast zone (the US).
If MLB.tv breached these agreements, it could face financial punishments. So to ensure it doesn’t get fined, MLB.tv prevents anyone outside the US from streaming its content.
It does this using geo-blocking technology that identifies your physical location. If you’re outside the US, this technology can figure that out, and MLB.tv will subsequently block your connection.
How does MLB.tv block my connection?
When you connect to MLB.tv’s, it scans your IP address.
Think of an IP address like a physical address for your device. It contains information about your physical location when you go online. IPs are used to form a communication line between your device and the website or app you’re visiting, in this case, MLB.tv, and there’s no way around it. You need an IP address when going online.
When you connect to MLB.tv, it scans your IP address for your location information, and if it finds you aren’t in the US, it’ll block your connection.
How can I get around MLB.tv’s blocks?
The way to get around these blocks is to make MLB.tv think you’re in the US when connecting to its service.
To do that, you need a spoof IP address that makes it look like you’re in the US. That way, when MLB.tv scans your IP, it’ll think you’re in its broadcast zone, and its content will be available for you.
The easiest way to get a US IP address is by using a reliable VPN. VPNs work very well, and the best VPNs will allow you to watch MLB.tv anywhere in the world reliably.
We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).
How does a VPN work?
First, the best VPNs will give you an anonymous internet connection so MLB.tv cannot find your physical location.
It does this by encrypting all of your online data into an unreadable code. Once your data has been changed into this code, MLB.tv cannot figure out your location. But this step alone won’t allow you to watch MLB.tv outside the US.
Fortunately, the best VPNs also allow you to select a country where you want your spoof IP address to be based.
When your data is encrypted, it’s rerouted through one of the VPN servers. Once it’s here, it’s decrypted and sent to a local internet service provider in the country where the server is based. You can select this server, and this will give you an IP address from that country.
All you have to do is open ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), select the US, and you’ll have a US IP address. Now you’ll be able to watch MLB.tv anywhere in the world.
Will any VPN work with MLB.tv?
Because VPNs are a well-known way to watch MLB.tv outside its broadcast zone, the streaming service tries to block them.
The good news is it cannot block a VPN completely. But it can block the IP addresses the VPN provides.
It does this using three main techniques:
- The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than IP addresses; this means that customers are forced to share the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When MLB.tv sees hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, it knows that it is a VPN, and it blocks it.
- MLB.tv monitors for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- MLB.tv teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, MLB.tv will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.
These methods are difficult to get around for free and lesser VPNs, and MLB.tv can easily block all of their IP addresses. This means you could potentially waste money on a VPN that won’t work with MLB.tv.
If you want to watch MLB.tv reliably anywhere in the world, the best VPNs are able to get around the streaming services blocking techniques.
When MLB.tv blocks an IP address provided by a VPN, the best VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP address and open a new one. This keeps them one step ahead of MLB.tv, and most importantly, it allows you to watch MLB.tv anywhere in the world reliably.
The best VPNs to watch MLB.tv
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
Special Offer for you!
Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
Is watching MLB.tv with a VPN legal?
Yes, watching MLB.tv with a VPN is legal, so long as you’re in a country where VPNs aren’t illegal. There are only a handful of countries (spot the authoritarianism link) where using a VPN is illegal; these are: China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
If you’re outside these countries, then using a VPN to stream MLB.tv is legal however, it’s important to know that doing so may breach MLB.tv’s terms of use.
If you subscribe to MLB.tv you’re automatically accepting it’s terms of use. Here it states “Restrictions apply to Services that allow you to watch streaming video of live games depending on the date of the game, your location and local, regional, national and international broadcast exclusivities.”
This means, MLB.tv can stop your subscription and ban you from the streaming service if you try to access its content with a VPN turned on.
With that said there are many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, like online privacy and anonymity. It’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be a heavy-handed and financially costly policy for MLB.tv (and other streaming services) to enforce.
In theory, if you’re trying to watch a streaming service (that you pay for) in a region where it does not traditionally operate, you risk having your account banned. However, as VPNs use military-grade encryption, it’s impossible for streaming services to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from. And there’s one final thing to note on the subject: MLB.tv has never banned anyone for using a VPN to access its service.
For more information you can check out article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
