An out-of-market MLB game is a game that isn’t available on your local TV or streaming feed because it’s outside your team’s local broadcast area. In practice, that usually means you can watch it only through an out-of-market package, while local games are often blacked out in your area.

Quick Scoop

  • Out-of-market = a game involving teams that are not in your local viewing region.
  • These games are often the ones you can stream when your local team is unavailable on MLB.TV because of blackout rules.
  • The restriction is tied to broadcast rights, not the quality of the game itself.
  • A simple example: if you live in one team’s home market, that team’s games may be blocked locally, while games from other markets are usually available.

Why It Matters

This matters because MLB’s viewing rules are based on where you live, not just which team you want to follow. So a fan might be able to watch almost every game in the league except the local team’s games, which is the part many people find confusing.

In plain English

Think of it like this:

  • In-market = your local team.
  • Out-of-market = everyone else.

That’s why MLB fans often talk about “blackouts” when they really mean local games being unavailable in their area.

TL;DR: an out-of-market MLB game is simply a game outside your local broadcast zone, usually available to stream when your hometown team is not.