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Best for U.S. Server Count
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Best for Unlimited Devices
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Best for Streaming Optimized Servers
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The 2026 regular season wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 27, and the Wild Card round starts two days later. If you're trying to watch every pitch of the stretch run on MLB.TV, you've probably already run into the part nobody warns you about: MLB.TV is an out-of-market service, so the one team you most want to watch is the one team it won't show you.
We found NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost to be the best virtual private networks (VPNs) for watching restricted games on MLB.TV.
NordVPN has the best selection of U.S. server locations, so you have the most options when a game is blacked out. Surfshark allows for unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can cover every device in your home. Finally, CyberGhost is the best option for streaming MLB.TV on optimized servers.
Let's dig into why these are the best VPNs for MLB.TV, when a VPN is the right tool, and when you're better off buying your team's own streaming package.
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VPN that earned the only Platinum rating in a five-way independent speed and security test by Artifact Security
Historically unlocks Netflix libraries in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia with no errors
Bundles with ad blocker, data removal, and encrypted storage for a more complete privacy setup
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Budget-friendly VPN that lets you connect unlimited devices at once, which most VPNs cap at 10 or fewer
4,500+ servers across 100 countries with proven fast speeds, even on distant connections
Includes a built-in ad and tracker blocker, so you get cleaner browsing without a separate tool
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VPN with dedicated streaming servers that successfully unlocked Netflix libraries worldwide in our testing
RAM-only servers across 100+ countries wipe all data on every reboot, so there's no data stored
Headquartered in Romania outside the Eyes alliances and independently audited by Deloitte in 2025
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| Details | View Deal | View Deal | View Deal |
| Best for | U.S. server count | Unlimited devices | Streaming optimized servers |
| Starting price | Starts at $3.49/mo | Starts at $2.49/mo | Starts at $2.19/mo |
| U.S. server coverage | 3,000+ servers across 55 cities, with servers in all 50 states | 600+ servers across 24 U.S. cities, with servers in 19 states | 1,560+ servers across 11 cities, with servers in 10 states |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 45 days on 6-month and 2-year plans, 14 days monthly |
| Streaming optimized servers | |||
| Learn more | Read NordVPN Review | Read Surfshark Review | Read CyberGhost Review |
Every VPN in this guide is hands-on tested by our team using a consistent process. We evaluate each product across seven areas:
We test VPNs at least twice a year. Testing has been carried out across Windows, macOS, and mobile, so our results reflect real-world performance across devices.
To learn more about how we test, read our full VPN methodology here.
When searching for the best VPNs for streaming MLB games, we considered several key criteria.
Server locations and availability across the United States are important, so you always have options when a game is blacked out. We also wanted to ensure that the VPNs we selected offered fast streaming speeds so you don't have to worry about buffering when the bases are loaded.
We evaluated additional VPN features and how they could benefit users beyond watching MLB. If you're paying for a VPN for streaming MLB games, you may as well use it to help protect your online privacy at the same time. We evaluated each VPN's privacy, ensuring they had proper encryption and a strict no-log policy to keep your internet activity safe.
One thing we want to be upfront about: our speed and leak testing is our own hands-on work, but we have not published MLB.TV-specific unblocking results for these three VPNs. Where a provider makes a claim about MLB.TV, we say so and attribute it to them.
VPN that earned the only Platinum rating in a five-way independent speed and security test by Artifact Security
Historically unlocks Netflix libraries in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia with no errors
Bundles with ad blocker, data removal, and encrypted storage for a more complete privacy setup
NordVPN is a great comprehensive VPN for all your needs, and we found it particularly useful for those invested in Major League Baseball overall, not just a specific team. It offers a deep roster of U.S.-based server locations, which is especially helpful for streaming MLB games across the country.
In our testing, NordVPN had 3,000+servers available across all 50 states, so you have somewhere to land no matter which market a game is blacked out in.
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Performance: NordVPN is one of our top-rated VPN providers for many reasons, and speed ranks near the top. In our testing, it was the fastest of the three VPNs on this list and held up well across server locations. Connecting to a VPN usually costs you some speed, so finding one that doesn't cost you much matters when you're watching a live game.
Server network: NordVPN has a massive global server network, and it's very transparent about its coverage. What we like most is that NordVPN is constantly expanding its network to include more countries and cities, which is great for users who want to access geoblocked content.
Ad blocker: We also liked NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro feature, which blocks malicious ads and sites from your computer. It also offers a kill switch that prevents you from being disconnected from the VPN and unknowingly using the internet when you're not connected. Learn more in our Threat Protection review.
Confusing plans: NordVPN offers several different plan options, which can be confusing. All options above the Basic plan add features like a password manager and encrypted file storage, which aren't necessary for streaming MLB.TV games.
Not the cheapest: With a starting price of about a dollar more than CyberGhost and Surfshark, NordVPN is also the most expensive VPN for MLB.TV on our list.
| Price range | $3.49–$29.99/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days |
| Number of servers | 8,400+ servers in 160+ countries |
| Number of connected devices | 10 |
| Historic average speed loss | 2% slower |
| VPN protocol | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, NordWhisper |
| Torrenting support | Yes |
| Learn more | Get NordVPN
Read NordVPN Review |
To assess NordVPN’s performance, we conducted tests to review impact on speed, ability to unblock Netflix geo-restrictions, and protection against potential data leaks.
NordVPN passed all three tests with flying colors. It has minimal impact on our speeds, unblocked all the Netflix libraries we tested, and prevented all data leaks.
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| Audited no-logs policy | Yes, audited by Deloitte from November-December 2025 |
| Speed | Decreased our download speeds by an average of 5% |
| Netflix | Unblocked Netflix U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia |
| DNS leak | Passed, no DNS leaks |
| WebRTC leak | Passed, no WebRTC leaks |
| Kill switch | Passed, no trace of our physical location when switching servers |
| Learn more | Get NordVPN |
NordVPN has a perfect star rating of 5.0 and is our top VPN recommendation. You can expect a user-friendly experience, standard VPN features along with helpful extras, an audited no-logs policy, and intuitive apps across devices.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 11% | 5.0 |
| Features | 30.5% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 20% | 5.0 |
| Privacy and security | 15.5% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 5% | 5.0 |
Budget-friendly VPN that lets you connect unlimited devices at once, which most VPNs cap at 10 or fewer
4,500+ servers across 100 countries with proven fast speeds, even on distant connections
Includes a built-in ad and tracker blocker, so you get cleaner browsing without a separate tool
Surfshark can help you multitask without missing a game. One of Surfshark's benefits is that this VPN platform allows you to have an unlimited number of connected devices.
In most cases, you typically need only a couple of devices connected to a VPN at a time. However, if you're traveling with family members or need multiple simultaneous VPN connections, it helps to protect unlimited devices.
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Features: Surfshark publishes 600+ servers across 24 U.S. cities in 19 states. That gives you a decent spread of places to connect from. It also offers several additional benefits that make it a secure VPN for watching MLB.TV games and protecting your internet connection.
Here are just a few of those great features:
Surfshark One gives you far more than just access to a VPN. Surfshark One also gives you access to antivirus software, a private search engine, and a data breach detector.
Cost: You'll get better pricing with Surfshark if you commit to two years. You can snag a 24-month subscription to Surfshark for only $2.49/mo.
Headquarters not the most privacy-forward: If you're worried about internet privacy, you may be concerned that Surfshark's headquarters is in the Nine Eyes alliance. Surfshark is headquartered in the Netherlands, a country that has pledged to share national security information with other member countries if necessary.
But if you're using your VPN just to stream MLB games, you're unlikely to be putting national security at risk.
| Price range | $2.49–$21.85/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days |
| Number of servers | 4,500+ servers in 100 countries |
| Number of connected devices | Unlimited |
| Historic average speed loss | 8% slower |
| VPN protocol | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Torrenting support | Yes |
| Learn more | Get Surfshark
Read Surfshark Review |
We conducted several tests on Surfshark to assess its performance: speed tests to measure impact, Netflix tests to unblock geo-restrictions, and leak tests to determine privacy protection.
Surfshark went above and beyond, causing minimal impact on our download speeds and unblocked all the Netflix libraries we tested. It also recently passed all three leak tests.
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| Audited no-logs policy | Yes, audited by Deloitte in June 2025 |
| Speed | Decreased our download speeds by an average of 8% |
| Netflix | Unblocked Netflix U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia |
| DNS leak | Passed, no DNS leaks |
| WebRTC leak | Passed, no WebRTC leaks |
| Kill switch | Passed, no trace of our physical location when switching servers |
| Learn more | Get Surfshark |
Surfshark has a perfect star rating of 5.0 because of its affordable plan pricing, allowance for unlimited simultaneous connections, a robust server network and features, and an audited no-logs policy.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 5.0 |
| Value | 11% | 5.0 |
| Features | 30.5% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 20% | 5.0 |
| Privacy and security | 15.5% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 5% | 5.0 |
VPN with dedicated streaming servers that successfully unlocked Netflix libraries worldwide in our testing
RAM-only servers across 100+ countries wipe all data on every reboot, so there's no data stored
Headquartered in Romania outside the Eyes alliances and independently audited by Deloitte in 2025
CyberGhost is ideal for users seeking streaming-optimized servers compatible with MLB.TV. It's also a great VPN if you want to try one out for MLB.TV before you commit to a plan. These are CyberGhost's trial options:
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Optimized servers: CyberGhost even indicates the best servers for streaming, gaming, or torrenting. You can also create favorite lists and mark the servers that work best for you or your favorite MLB teams. It offers 1,560+ servers across 11 cities in 10 states. Although NordVPN and Surfshark offer broader U.S. coverage, CyberGhost offers optimized streaming servers.
Beginner-friendly: CyberGhost is easy to use. We like it because we had no trouble finding and connecting to servers worldwide.
It actually talks about baseball: CyberGhost is the only VPN on this list that publishes an MLB.TV page, where it tells you to match your server to the broadcaster carrying the game. That's the provider's own marketing rather than a guarantee, but it's more than NordVPN or Surfshark offer on the subject.
Risk-free period: CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee on its 6-month and 2-year plans. The monthly plan only gets 14 days, so read the fine print if you're planning to sign up for a single month to cover the postseason.
Slowest of the three: CyberGhost had the slowest download speed of the three VPNs we tested here. Its streaming-optimized servers help, but you'll notice it on a slower home connection.
Limited split tunneling: CyberGhost offers split tunneling only on Android devices. This means that all of your website traffic must be routed through the VPN, or none at all.
Without split tunneling, you may have issues accessing different websites. For instance, you may have trouble working while watching the game if your company prohibits VPN connections for certain tasks. In that case, you may need two devices or choose between work and baseball (not always an easy decision).
| Price range | $2.19–$12.99/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 45 days on 6-month and 2-year plans, 14 days on the monthly plan |
| Number of servers | Unlisted in 100 countries |
| Number of connected devices | 7 |
| Historic average speed loss | 34% slower |
| VPN protocol | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Torrenting support | Yes |
| Learn more | Get CyberGhost
Read CyberGhost Review |
We ran several tests on CyberGhost for insight into its real-world performance. We tested how CyberGhost would impact our internet speeds, unblock Netflix's geo-restrictions, and prevent data leaks.
CyberGhost passed all of our Netflix tests and prevented all data leaks. It had a high impact on our speeds, but our internet was still perfectly usable.
| Test type | 
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| Audited no-logs policy | Yes, audited by Deloitte in May 2024 |
| Speed | Decreased our download speeds by an average of 18% |
| Netflix | Unblocked Netflix U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia |
| DNS leak | Passed, no DNS leaks |
| WebRTC leak | Passed, no WebRTC leaks |
| Kill switch | Passed, no trace of our physical location when switching servers |
| Learn more | Get CyberGhost |
CyberGhost has a high star rating of 4.7 due to its feature-rich platform, audited no-logs policy, privacy-friendly headquarters, and compatibility across desktop, mobile, routers, and more.
CyberGhost received a lower test results score due to its slow speed performance. We also docked points in the experience category because we've had issues connecting to servers and unblocking geo-restrictions.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 15% | 4.5 |
| Value | 11% | 4.67 |
| Features | 30.5% | 4.75 |
| Test results | 20% | 4.5 |
| Privacy and security | 15.5% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 5% | 5.0 |
Of our top three VPNs for MLB.TV, NordVPN was the fastest by a comfortable margin. You can typically expect a VPN to slow down your internet connection, since it routes your traffic through an encrypted tunnel. The question is how much.
Our average speed change is based on historical testing results from our quarterly in-house tests. CyberGhost proved to be the slowest of the three, and it's the only one where the drop is large enough that you'd want a comfortable amount of headroom on your home connection before streaming a game in HD. Its optimized streaming servers help offset that.
| Average speed change | |
| NordVPN | 2% slower |
| Surfshark | 8% slower |
| CyberGhost | 34% slower |
A VPN is not the answer to every MLB.TV problem, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you a subscription you don't need. There are three situations where it's genuinely the tool that fits.
1. You want your local team on MLB.TV. This is the big one, and it applies to fans of all 30 clubs. MLB.TV is sold as an out-of-market product, and MLB's blackout policy applies those restrictions whether your club is playing at home or on the road, and whether or not the game is on local TV.
The sanctioned alternative is your club's in-market streaming package, which you buy separately from MLB.TV. MLB's support pages spell this out: an MLB.TV All Teams subscription doesn't cover your local club, and you need the club package on top of it. So if you only want one team and you live in its market, the club package is cheaper and cleaner than a VPN. If you want the whole league including your local club, you're looking at two subscriptions or a bundle.
2. You're traveling. MLB.TV decides what you can watch based on where it thinks you are, so leaving your home territory changes what's available, in both directions. A VPN lets you control which territory MLB.TV sees. It's legal to use a VPN, though see the note below about MLB's terms of service.
3. A game is exclusive to a national broadcaster. This category is growing, and it has nothing to do with your local RSN. More on it below.
Every club is blacked out on MLB.TV inside its own home territory. What differs is the in-market service you'd buy instead, and whether MLB sells it to you directly or the club and its network do.
MLB says in-market, blackout-free streaming is available for 22 of its 30 clubs. The other eight sell their own direct-to-consumer product, so every team has an in-market option one way or another.
| Club | In-market streaming option | Sold by MLB? |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Dbacks.TV | |
| Athletics | Athletics.TV* | |
| Atlanta Braves | Braves.TV | |
| Baltimore Orioles | MASN+* | |
| Boston Red Sox | NESN 360 | |
| Chicago Cubs | MARQ Sports Network | |
| Chicago White Sox | Chicago Sports Network app | |
| Cincinnati Reds | Reds.TV | |
| Cleveland Guardians | CLEGuardians.TV | |
| Colorado Rockies | Rockies.TV | |
| Detroit Tigers | Detroit SportsNet | |
| Houston Astros | Space City App | |
| Kansas City Royals | Royals.TV | |
| Los Angeles Angels | Angels.TV | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | SNLA+* | |
| Miami Marlins | Marlins.TV | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Brewers.TV | |
| Minnesota Twins | Twins.TV | |
| New York Mets | SNY* | |
| New York Yankees | Gotham Sports / Prime Video | |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Phillies.TV* | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | SNP 360 | |
| San Diego Padres | Padres.TV | |
| San Francisco Giants | Giants.TV* | |
| Seattle Mariners | Mariners.TV | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Cardinals.TV | |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Rays.TV | |
| Texas Rangers | Rangers Sports Network | |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Sportsnet+ | |
| Washington Nationals | Nationals.TV |
*MLB distributes these six clubs' broadcasts through deals with the club's regional sports network, so pricing and packaging vary by market.
Local blackouts get all the attention, but national exclusives surprise people. Under MLB's media rights agreements for 2026 through 2028, several partners hold windows where a game airs on their platform and nowhere else. When that happens, the game isn't on MLB.TV or on your club's in-market service either. For 2026, the partners holding national windows are ESPN, NBC and Peacock, Netflix, Apple TV, FOX and FS1, and TBS.
The postseason is the part worth reading twice. A standalone MLB.TV subscription doesn't include playoff games. Per MLB's 2026 postseason schedule, "all postseason games telecast on TNT Sports platforms, FOX and FS1 will be available to MLB.TV subscribers who are authenticated subscribers to the applicable network through a participating pay TV provider." You can watch in the MLB app, but only after logging in with a pay TV account.
The Wild Card round is a further wrinkle. All four Wild Card Series air on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN starting Tuesday, Sept. 29, and NBC isn't named among the networks you can authenticate against in the MLB app. If you're planning your October viewing around MLB.TV, plan for a Peacock subscription too. World Series Game 1 is Friday, Oct. 23 on FOX.
A VPN does not solve an authentication problem. If a game requires a pay TV login, changing your apparent location won't produce one.
VPNs aren't just for privacy. Based on our VPN study, one‑third of VPN users say they've watched live sports streams using one. We also found that nearly half of VPN users have used a VPN to access streaming services, often to get around regional restrictions. Sports fans want to bypass blackouts and watch their favorite teams live.
By using a VPN, you change the way your location appears to MLB.TV. For instance, if you're in San Diego and the Padres game is geo-blocked, you can connect to a server in another market as a workaround. You may need to try a couple of servers before you find one that works.
Blacked-out games do become available on demand after the fact, so if you can stay off social media for a couple of hours, waiting is the free and fully sanctioned option.
Here's the honest summary. If the only games you're missing are your local club's, your cheapest and safest route is that club's own in-market streaming package, not a VPN. Every team has one now.
If you're traveling, chasing out-of-market games across the league, or you want a VPN for the other 11 months of the year too, then NordVPN is our pick, thanks to its speed, its U.S. server coverage, and a privacy setup that holds up outside of baseball season.
VPN that earned the only Platinum rating in a five-way independent speed and security test by Artifact Security
Historically unlocks Netflix libraries in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia with no errors
Bundles with ad blocker, data removal, and encrypted storage for a more complete privacy setup
Each of these VPNs will keep your internet speeds reasonable for streaming, and each is easy to use. When looking for a server with access to a blacked-out game, you may need to switch between a few before you find one that works.
Finding the best VPN for your needs matters. While all of these VPNs are solid for streaming, you may want one that's also great for gaming or that allows torrenting.
MLB blackouts occur when games aren't available on MLB.TVTV because MLB.TV is an out-of-market service. Your local club is blacked out in its home territory, and MLB's policy applies to home or away Clubs. So if you're in Atlanta hoping to catch a Braves game on MLB.TV, it's blacked out whether the team is playing at home or on the road. Braves fans in market would use Braves.TV instead.
Not on MLB.TV. What MLB has done is give every club a direct-to-consumer alternative. MLB says all 30 teams now have an in-market streaming option, and it sells that option directly for 22 of them. Those are separate subscriptions from MLB.TV. MLB's own support docs put it plainly: MLB.TV All Teams subscribers "will need to purchase a Rockies.TV package in addition to the All Teams Package" to watch the Rockies in Colorado. So local blackouts on MLB.TV itself are still in place for all 30 clubs.
Technically yes. Open your VPN, connect to a server outside the blacked-out market, then open MLB.TV. But MLB's Terms of Use prohibit circumventing blackout restrictions and specify immediate termination plus a $100 early termination charge. If your goal is just your local team, the club's in-market package is the route that doesn't put your account at risk.
Two separate reasons. Local blackouts cover your home club since MLB.TV sells out-of-market games. National exclusives cover games where one partner has the only rights, and MLB says those "will be available through the partners' platforms and not through an MLB.TV or Club.TV subscription." Postseason games fall into the second category.
Your access depends on where MLB.TV thinks you are, and MLB notes that blackout restrictions on U.S. clubs "may expand to outside of the United States." A VPN changes the territory MLB.TV sees. Note that MLB's terms treat circumventing any use restriction the same way regardless of country. Learn more about where it is legal to use a VPN.
VPN that earned the only Platinum rating in a five-way independent speed and security test by Artifact Security
Historically unlocks Netflix libraries in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia with no errors
Bundles with ad blocker, data removal, and encrypted storage for a more complete privacy setup
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