International Fans Angered As Postseason Games Blacked Out On MLB’s Streaming Service; League Responds

With little warning, fans in places such as the U.K., Australia, Mexico, Canada, and the Netherlands found out that they are unable to watch the 2022 Major League Baseball postseason on the league’s stream service, MLB.TV creating anger and a flurry of fans attempting to get questions answered.

With the postseason about to start, Thursday international customers were informed that due to blackout policies with broadcast partners they would be blacked out on the streaming service and would need to watch on television, leaving cord-cutters or never-corders being forced to potentially pay extra for those network streaming packages.

Angered, and with no information other than the league’s postseason blackout page to reference, fans took to social media to vent their frustration.

On Twitter, @BaseballBrit, who has close to 49,000, echoed what many frustrated fans felt upon receiving the news

League Responds; Black Lifted For Remainder Of Wild Card Series

Late on Friday, a league spokesperson replied that the reason for the blackouts was due to exclusivity agreements with international broadcast partners reached ahead of the season, and that as part of those agreements more games had been added, including postseason games.

As to the lack of communications that may have at least dulled some of the angered response, the league took responsibility for it saying they had needed to be proactive and to do so well in advance of the postseason.

While it took until the Padres-Mets game on Friday night – the last game of the day – to try and at least appease some fans, the league lifted the blackout policy in locations affected for the remainder of the Wild Card Series that ends Sunday night in the U.S. Beginning with the Division Series through to the end of the World Series, the blackout would be in place for the countries affected (see the list at the bottom of this page).

MLB is offering refunds to those fans affected. They can do so by contacting the league’s customer service through the following email address: [email protected].