How to bypass MLB.TV Blackouts. A workaround.

Opening Day! April 1st, 2013.

3 STEPS TO BYPASS BLACKOUT

1. Get fast proxy

2. Activate proxy

3. Enjoy your game!

Here are updated instructions for activating your proxy:

Chrome (windows)
Firefox (windows)
Internet Explorer (windows)
Safari (mac) *soon
Chrome (mac) *soon





Follow me on Twitter for more information on how to bypass the blackouts.

The Long Answer:

The best way that I have discovered to get around MLB.tv's blackouts is via the use of a proxy server.

"What is a proxy server?" you might ask. You can think of a proxy server as a computer in a location different from your own which you can connect to and route your internet traffic. The fact that the proxy server is (most likely) located in a different location than your own is key to this method of bypassing the MLB.tv blackout restrictions.

MLB.tv determines your eligibility to view a game according to this map. For instance, if you live in Los Angeles and want to watch the Dodgers play on MLB.tv, you will be blacked out. You can check what teams you are blacked out from watching on MLB.tv by typing in your zip code here.

"How does MLB.tv know where I am located" you might wonder. MLB.tv accomplishes this by looking at your IP address. Every computer with a connection has an IP address. Check out what this website knows by looking at your IP: www.whatismyipaddress.com

"So how do we get around the blackout already?!" The answer is to "trick" MLB.tv into thinking you are connecting from another part of the country (or world!) that is not subject to blackout. This is done by changing your internet settings to use a proxy server to access pages.

For instance, if I change my internet settings to use a proxy server located in New York, upon connecting, MLB.tv will poll my IP and read the location as New York rather than Los Angeles (my actual location).

HOW TO BYPASS BLACKOUT

1. Find a suitable proxy server. The following sites list free, public proxy servers that anyone can use.:

• http://www.samair.ru/proxy/
• http://www.checkedproxylists.com/
• http://proxies.my-proxy.com/

*It can be very difficult to find a public proxy that will have enough speed for you to stream a game. You can get a reliable private proxy here for a couple bucks a month.*

**If you are having trouble finding a proxy server that works for MLB.tv, you can get a reliable one here for a couple of bucks.**

What you are looking for is proxy server information in the following form:

10.24.577.233:8080

[ proxy IP ] [proxy port]

The first section is the proxy's IP address. The numbers listed after the colon are the proxy's port. Sometimes a proxy server site will list these numbers in a different form. You will need both of the numbers.

2. Change your internet settings to use the proxy server

For Google Chrome (on windows):

1) Click on the wrench icon in the upper right and choose "Settings". 




2) Scroll down if necessary and click "Show advanced settings".




3) Click the "Change proxy settings" button.




4) Click the "LAN settings" button.




5) Check the indicated box and fill in the proxy IP address and port settings as shown. (Substitute your proxy address and port for the ones given in the example. The example proxy will not work.).




6)  Click the "Advanced" button.




7) Ensure that the the "Use the same proxy server for all protocols" box is checked. This is very important. The proxy will not work for mlb.tv without this setting.




8) Click "OK" on all windows and then go to www.whatismyipaddress.com. By first going to www.whatismyipaddress.com you can see whether the page loads and shows your new IP address and location. This needs to be a location outside of the blackout region for the game you are trying to watch. If the page loads and your new location is detected, then try loading up an MLB game and see if it works. 

If you have trouble getting either the IP address page or MLB.tv to come up, then this is where the trial-and-error and challenging part of bypassing a blackout come into play. Most free public proxy servers will either not work or will be too slow to stream an MLB.tv game. You can get a private, working proxy here for a couple of bucks.

**NOTES**

If you are still having problems getting things to work try completely closing your browser and starting again. Sometimes this step is required in order for mlb.tv to detect your new location.

If you are using a private proxy, you may be presented with a username/password dialog box. Enter in the user/pass for the private proxy there. 

For Mozilla Firefox (on windows):

1) Click on the "Firefox" dropdown in the upper left. Then "Options" and "Options" again.

2) Go to the "Advanced" tab.

3) Go into the "Network tab and click the "Settings" button within the "Connection section".

4) Select the radio button ("Manual proxy configuration") and then fill in the proxy IP and port. Be sure to check the box "Use this proxy server for all protocols". This setting is very important! MLB.tv will not work without this box checked. 

5) Click "OK" on all windows and then go to www.whatismyipaddress.com. By first going to www.whatismyipaddress.com you can see whether the page loads and shows your new IP address and location. This needs to be a location outside of the blackout region for the game you are trying to watch. If the page loads and your new location is detected, then try loading up an MLB game and see if it works. 

If you have trouble getting either the IP address page or MLB.tv to come up, then this is where the trial-and-error and challenging part of bypassing a blackout come into play. Most free public proxy servers will either not work or will be too slow to stream an MLB.tv game. You can get a private, working proxy here for a couple of bucks.

**NOTES**

If you are still having problems getting things to work try completely closing your browser and starting again. Sometimes this step is required in order for mlb.tv to detect your new location.

If you are using a private proxy, you may be presented with a username/password dialog box. Enter in the user/pass for the private proxy there. 

For Internet Explorer (on windows):

1) Click on the gear cog icon and then "Internet Options."

2) Click on the "Connections" tab and then press the "LAN Settings" button.




3) In the "Proxy Server" area of the box that pops up, check the box next to "Use a proxy server for your LAN then fill in the proxy IP address and port. 



4) Click the "Advanced" button.




5) Ensure that the box "Use the same proxy server for all protocols" is checked. This is a very important step! MLB.tv will not work without this setting.






6) Click "OK" on all windows and then go to www.whatismyipaddress.com. By first going to www.whatismyipaddress.com you can see whether the page loads and shows your new IP address and location. This needs to be a location outside of the blackout region for the game you are trying to watch. If the page loads and your new location is detected, then try loading up an MLB game and see if it works. 

If you have trouble getting either the IP address page or MLB.tv to come up, then this is where the trial-and-error and challenging part of bypassing a blackout come into play. Most free public proxy servers will either not work or will be too slow to stream an MLB.tv game. You can get a private, working proxy here for a couple of bucks.

**NOTES**

If you are still having problems getting things to work try completely closing your browser and starting again. Sometimes this step is required in order for mlb.tv to detect your new location.

If you are using a private proxy, you may be presented with a username/password dialog box. Enter in the user/pass for the private proxy there.