As 2012 MLB Season Approaches, Blackout Policy Likely to Remain

File this one in the “broken record” department: prepare for yet another season of MLB’s blackout policy remaining in place. The reason for the broken record? This story has been written repeatedly for years. A source at MLB said that for all practical purposes, the matter will likely not be addressed for the upcoming season. For the uninitiated, the question is, “Why should I be concerned?” That depends on whether you are, or planning to, purchase MLB Extra Innings or subscribe to MLB.TV. In a nutshell, there are two ways you can be hit with the “blackout blues”. National broadcast partners FOX and ESPN have exclusivity agreements in which no matter where you live, games are blacked out on MLB Extra Innings and MLB.TV. There’s also local blackouts depending on your location that can impact one, or up to as many as six teams being blacked out in your location. See the map below for MLB’s television territories: MLB's blackout map is a confusing case of overlappin...