Does ESPN+ blackout local games? (2023)

Why does ESPN+ blackout local teams?

Blackouts are implemented to protect the primary rights holder, as defined by the professional and college sports leagues or teams in a given market. If you are receiving blackout messaging on ESPN, check your local listings to find the television network carrying the event.

Yes, ESPN+ blacks out NHL games in regions where the games are being broadcast by local TV broadcasters. You can easily bypass these NHL blackouts by using a VPN and changing your IP address to be from some other region than you are based in. We recommend NordVPN for this.

In most cases, the blackout results when a sports league prohibits an event from being televised locally if the event did not sell out all its tickets.

National TV Blackouts

Unless the game is due to local blackout, most will be available immediately after they air live, with everything else appearing 24 hours after the live games end.

A VPN is an effective workaround for ESPN blackouts.

Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN routes your internet connection through a server in another location. By connecting to a VPN server outside of the blackout region, you can unlock region-locked streams, or even watch ESPN+ while abroad.

Watching live ESPN channels still will require a paid TV subscription, whether from cable, satellite, or a live TV streaming service. The app acts as a gatekeeper by requiring users to sign in with their TV provider account to enable live viewing.

Here's how to watch blackout games:

Sign up for and download a good VPN service provider with plenty of bandwidth and server locations. We particularly recommend NordVPN. Install the VPN app on your Macbook or PC and run it. Connect to a server in a location where the game you want to watch is not blacked out.

You should be able to view games that are blacked out on NBA League Pass on a regional sports network in your area or a national TV network such as NBA TV, TNT, ESPN, ABC, Sportsnet or TSN. Blacked out games are available for viewing on-demand as soon as they are moved to the NBA League Pass Archives.

NHL on ESPN+

Now part of the ESPN+ base-tier subscription at no additional cost. Access over 1,000 out of market NHL games from every team, all season long. Blackouts and restrictions apply.

Most blackout policies serve to protect local broadcasters (primarily regional sports networks) from competition by "out-of-market" networks that carry different teams, by only allowing viewers to watch non-national telecasts of teams within their designated markets (with television providers blacking out regional ...

How do you get around sports blackouts?

Bypassing local blackouts with a browser and a VPN is simple. Load the app from your VPN provider of choice, select a VPN server outside of the blacked-out area, load your browser of choice, and visit the ESPN website. Enjoy the show.

Can I Stream Every NFL Game on YouTube TV? With CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and the NFL Network in YouTube TV's channel lineup, subscribers can watch all the NFL action that's not affected by a local blackout.

ESPN+ is the new home of the NHL.TV package, which means hockey fans can watch over 1,000 out-of-market games this season, plus 75 exclusive ones. ESPN+ also includes other live sports, such as select MLB games, national and international soccer league matches, and various NCAA events.

For the NHL specifically, blackouts are present to allow regional sports networks to broadcast as many games as possible. “Blackout restrictions exist to protect the local television telecasters of each NHL game in the local markets of the teams. Blackouts are not based on arena sell-outs.

How can I watch ESPN without a TV provider? You can watch ESPN without cable by using a VPN to unblock these streaming services: Sling TV, Hulu with live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, and AT&T TV. You can also stream ESPN content on demand with ESPN+.

ESPN+ cannot block VPNs; it can only block IP addresses. When you connect to a different server, you will be given a different IP address, and if your VPN is good enough, this IP address potentially won't have been blacklisted by ESPN+.

An ESPN+ subscription does not give you access to stream ESPN's traditional TV networks or the content on them. To stream those networks, you need a television subscription through a cable, satellite or digital provider.

Cable isn't the only way to enjoy your favorite sports on ESPN and ESPN2. It's usually not the cheapest option either. You can watch ESPN and a long list of other channels by choosing a live TV streaming service like Hulu + Live TV or Sling TV. You can even live stream ESPN in-app with ESPN Plus membership.

ESPN+ is separate from the ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNews cable networks, so a subscription will not grant you access to live broadcasts of those channels.

What happens if you don't have a TV provider for ESPN Plus?

You can get the major sports channels on top of the ESPN channel for an affordable price with YouTube TV. Sling TV is the cheapest option if your goal is to save money. Hulu + Live TV is best for those who want live channels and lots of on-demand content. Hulu + Live TV now includes Disney+ and ESPN+.

As an out-of-market viewing option, the biggest drawback to ESPN+ is that you'll run into blackout restrictions when trying to watch your local MLS team live. This makes the service more beneficial to fans of non-local teams but also a great option for anyone looking to follow the league as a whole.

Subscribers can watch live games from the MLB, NHL, and MLS when their seasons are active. There's also PGA golf, UFC, college football, international soccer, and tennis. On the downside, there are no live NBA games and ESPN+ will only stream a handful of NFL games during the 2022 season.

Blackouts are based on your physical location when watching the game. Sounders FC's regional broadcast territory extends throughout the entirety of Washington State – inclusive of the traditional Seattle-Tacoma-Everett television DMA and key population centers like Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities and Vancouver, Wash.

An ESPN+ subscription does not give you access to stream ESPN's traditional TV networks or the content on them. To stream those networks, you need a television subscription through a cable, satellite or digital provider.