[bjthadj]

Tonight on the main MLBN feed (213) we have KC Royals/Texas Rangers. The MLBN alternate (213-1) is Pittsburgh Pirates/Milwaukee Brewers. I am in Chicago in the city proper. The only teams that claim my zip code are the Cubs and White Sox. So why oh why am I blacked out of the KC/Texas game but can see Pitt/Milwaukee?!? I can't seem to figure out this one so someone please enlighten me?

 

[KyL416]

The MLB Network has regional games, some parts of the country get one game, other parts of the country get the other game. It's not like the NHL Network where the alternate is only for the cities with teams playing in the game on the main channel.

 

[bjthadj]

I didn't realize that. Just assumed the blackouts only applied to protect home team broadcasts. Thanks for the help!

 

[schmave1]

Yeah, there is really not the rhyme or reason to how MLB Network distributes games that, say, ESPN had back in the 90s when the "national" game went to everybody but the markets of the teams in said game. Those areas got the "alternate" game.
Sometimes, the blackouts are too wide-reaching, especially on cable. My parents have cable here in the Columbus, Ohio market and the MLB Network carried on Time Warner *always* is blacked out of Tigers games even though we are not a Tigers market. On DirecTV, that isn't a problem since our programming is determined by zip code.