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hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
Has anyone found a good way to watch live, in-market MLB games on the Apple TV? We cut cable a few weeks ago and I have yet to find a way to watch the Yankees live in upstate NY. Seems like the MLB has some pretty arcane blackout rules that prevent watching any live games online, even if you pay. MLB.TV makes you wait 90min after a game ends, which doesn't work for me. Does anyone know of any workarounds?
 

ftaok

macrumors 603
Jan 23, 2002
6,491
1,573
East Coast
I thought the MLB blackout rules were dropped. I recall reading something about it this past winter. Maybe I'm wrong.

EDIT - here's a link talking about the blackout and some workarounds.

EDIT 2 - the workaround page is kinda old. Looks like MLB closed that loophole in 2014. Not sure what else to do, other than moving out of NY or start rooting for another team. j/k. #LGM
 
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Tholian

macrumors member
Dec 26, 2007
54
1
Stanford
I'm a season ticket holder with the Giants and I have asked about this several times. What I have been told is that the teams would be happy to allow in market games if they can work out the contract issues with the networks and the local stations. Unfortunately the contracts once signed run for several years and all the teams as well as MLB must buy in. I have heard rumors that they may start some in market games next year, but who knows?

In the meantime check this out: http://www.howtogeek.com/221889/con...-vpn-to-bypass-censorship-filtering-and-more/

Their are many other solutions similar to this. Some commercial programs also claim to provide this, though your ISP may not allow them on their network.

Good Luck!
 

Hookemfins

macrumors 6502
Jan 13, 2013
325
27
Florida
Has anyone found a good way to watch live, in-market MLB games on the Apple TV?

Only way is by using a DNS blocker like unblock-us or unlocator. I wanted a watch a Marlins vs Padres and the Fox Sports FL wasn't broadcasting the game. I got a trial unlocator and watched the Padres broadcast. It works on Apple TV but not on devices that use location services, like iPhone or iPad.

Other option is if you know someone who subscribes to a TV provider who has the Yes Network as their primary RSN and you can watch on Fox Sports Go app. The 15 teams that have Fox as their RSN will broadcast games on the Fox Sports Go app providing you subscribe to that RSN through a TV provider.

Edit: I changed the DSN on my Apple TV to unlocator's DNS. I tried both listed above and worked for the 1 week trial.
 
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hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
Only way is by using a DNS blocker like unblock-us or unlocator. I wanted a watch a Marlins vs Padres and the Fox Sports FL wasn't broadcasting the game. I got a trial unlocator and watched the Padres broadcast. It works on Apple TV but not on devices that use location services, like iPhone or iPad.

Other option is if you know someone who subscribes to a TV provider who has the Yes Network as their primary RSN and you can watch on Fox Sports Go app. The 15 teams that have Fox as their RSN will broadcast games on the Fox Sports Go app providing you subscribe to that RSN through a TV provider.

Edit: I changed the DSN on my Apple TV to unlocator's DNS. I tried both listed above and worked for the 1 week trial.

This is perfect! The Fox Sports Go app is going to be a lifesaver this season. Thanks for the tip!
 

lenard

macrumors 6502a
Oct 10, 2007
615
435
Raleigh NC
Has anyone found a good way to watch live, in-market MLB games on the Apple TV? We cut cable a few weeks ago and I have yet to find a way to watch the Yankees live in upstate NY. Seems like the MLB has some pretty arcane blackout rules that prevent watching any live games online, even if you pay. MLB.TV makes you wait 90min after a game ends, which doesn't work for me. Does anyone know of any workarounds?
What about the new Follow My Team on MLB.TV? Check that out, it should allow you to watch the Yankees all season long.
Its a $85 subscription...
 

hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
What about the new Follow My Team on MLB.TV? Check that out, it should allow you to watch the Yankees all season long.
Its a $85 subscription...

From what I gathered, you're still subject to blackout rules. So if I'm in upstate NY and I want to get the Follow My Team sub, I can't watch live. I still have to wait until 90 min after the game ends to watch it. Does anyone know if that's correct?
 

Alrescha

macrumors 68020
Jan 1, 2008
2,156
317
I am so disgusted by this whole business I have simply stopped watching. When the teams and MLB get their heads out of their collective asses I will watch baseball again.

A.
 
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slu

macrumors 68000
Sep 15, 2004
1,636
107
Buffalo
Only way is by using a DNS blocker like unblock-us or unlocator. I wanted a watch a Marlins vs Padres and the Fox Sports FL wasn't broadcasting the game. I got a trial unlocator and watched the Padres broadcast. It works on Apple TV but not on devices that use location services, like iPhone or iPad.

Other option is if you know someone who subscribes to a TV provider who has the Yes Network as their primary RSN and you can watch on Fox Sports Go app. The 15 teams that have Fox as their RSN will broadcast games on the Fox Sports Go app providing you subscribe to that RSN through a TV provider.

Edit: I changed the DSN on my Apple TV to unlocator's DNS. I tried both listed above and worked for the 1 week trial.
This is the correct answer. I am going on my 3rd season using unblock us. Works great. Never had a single issue.
 

dke11ett

macrumors newbie
Sep 12, 2014
23
5
Has anyone found a good way to watch live, in-market MLB games on the Apple TV? We cut cable a few weeks ago and I have yet to find a way to watch the Yankees live in upstate NY. Seems like the MLB has some pretty arcane blackout rules that prevent watching any live games online, even if you pay. MLB.TV makes you wait 90min after a game ends, which doesn't work for me. Does anyone know of any workarounds?

Unblock us works.

However, if you know someone with a cable login still, you can use their login to authenticate Fox Sports Go App on an iOS device. The YES Network is now streaming via that app, in-market! Then AirPlay the content to your Apple TV. My parents have a lake house in Upstate NY and Time Warner cable. This is how I have been watching games so far this year.

I'm glad to find a fellow Yankees fan looking into the same problems!
 

Hookemfins

macrumors 6502
Jan 13, 2013
325
27
Florida
The weird thing about blackouts is that they’re only supposed to affect people who live within 35 miles of the baseball game and yet they often affect people who live farther than 35 miles away from the ballpark. Also, the FCC eliminated the blackout rules in 2014. I actually started a petition regarding this issue: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mlb-please-eliminate-blackouts

The blackout rule was mainly for the NFL and for games broadcast on TV. The main objective of the blackout rule was that an NFL game must be sold out with by 72 hours before kickoff. It has nothing to do with MLB.tv.
 

hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
Unblock us works.

However, if you know someone with a cable login still, you can use their login to authenticate Fox Sports Go App on an iOS device. The YES Network is now streaming via that app, in-market! Then AirPlay the content to your Apple TV. My parents have a lake house in Upstate NY and Time Warner cable. This is how I have been watching games so far this year.

I'm glad to find a fellow Yankees fan looking into the same problems!


Yea, Fox Sports Go is really the best option. The sad part is, I'd be happy to pay for a single team MLB sub, but they make it so difficult that now none of them get any of my $$...
 
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jblagden

macrumors 65816
Aug 16, 2013
1,162
641
Yea, Fox Sports Go is really the best option. The sad part is, I'd be happy to pay for a single team MLB sub, but they make it so difficult that now none of them get any of my $$...
You can’t even get around the blackouts with a single team subscription?
 

oneMadRssn

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,089
14,195
Has anyone found a good way to watch live, in-market MLB games on the Apple TV? We cut cable a few weeks ago and I have yet to find a way to watch the Yankees live in upstate NY. Seems like the MLB has some pretty arcane blackout rules that prevent watching any live games online, even if you pay. MLB.TV makes you wait 90min after a game ends, which doesn't work for me. Does anyone know of any workarounds?

You can get around the blackouts very easily using a smartDNS. The most cost-effective one is called Ad-Free time. It's $2/month, it works with the MLB.tv app on ATV3 and ATV4, among many other devices. The site has good guides on how to set it all up, it's pretty easy. https://adfreetime.com/a/521
 
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hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
You can’t even get around the blackouts with a single team subscription?

Not really. By getting a team sub, you get access to that team's games, but not live. You have to wait 90 min after the game ends to watch it. So if it's a 7pm start, which the majority are, you're not watching that sucker until 11:30p-12am. It really sucks. As suggested above, you can use a workaround to skirt this rule. But the main point is there's no way, in-market, to watch live games on the MLB.TV app without a workaound.
 
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jblagden

macrumors 65816
Aug 16, 2013
1,162
641
Not really. By getting a team sub, you get access to that team's games, but not live. You have to wait 90 min after the game ends to watch it. So if it's a 7pm start, which the majority are, you're not watching that sucker until 11:30p-12am. It really sucks.
I guess I'd just watch the game the next day if I went with a single team subscription. But that kind of defeats the purpose of getting the subscription. At that rate I might was well just check the score after the game ends. That's very unfortunate.
 
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hinesmj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 19, 2015
344
248
New York
I guess I'd just watch the game the next day if I went with a single team subscription. But that kind of defeats the purpose of getting the subscription. At that rate I might was well just check the score after the game ends. That's very unfortunate.


Keep in mind, that only applies if you're in their "market." If you're outside their market, you can watch live. However, those markets can be pretty huge. For example, I'm in Central New York, which is in the Yankees market. Yankee Stadium is ~260 miles, or a 4.5 hour trip, from my house.
 
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nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,566
2,465
DE
If your local team is the free game of the day it is not blacked out

I don't think that is the case. The Phillies were the free game of the day sometime last week and when I clicked to watch, a message came up saying the game is blacked out in my area.
 

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,566
2,465
DE
When I see the Phillies are the free game of the day, I'll try it again (I have noticed some bugs pop up within the app).
 

oneMadRssn

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,089
14,195
Hmm last night the phillies game worked, maybe a technical mess up, the app is a mess, if i try to pause then play again it goes back to the start of the game

I agree, this bug is annoying.

Other than registering for the mlb forum, does anyone know how to report bugs?
 
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