THE BLACKOUT MAP
Blackouts are the single most frustrating aspect of modern sports viewership. Here is why they happen and how they work.
The Economics of Blackouts
Sports leagues sell their broadcast rights in two distinct tiers: National and Regional.
Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) pay billions for the exclusive right to broadcast local teams in their home market. To protect this massive investment, leagues implement blackout rules. If you live within a team's designated territory, the league forces you to watch the game on the RSN. They block you from watching it on out-of-market streaming services like MLB.TV or NBA League Pass.
The Iowa Problem (MLB)
Iowa is the most notorious example of broken blackout territories. Despite having no Major League Baseball team, Iowa is claimed as "home territory" by six different franchises:
- Chicago Cubs
- Chicago White Sox
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Minnesota Twins
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Kansas City Royals
An MLB.TV subscriber in Iowa is blacked out from watching all six of these teams, representing 20% of the league.