How to Watch Baseball Online in 2016

It’s a little easier to watch baseball online this year, though no one would call it safe at home quite yet.

Major League Baseball has broadcast games over the Internet since 2002, but always with one huge catch: A blackout on all local team games - both home and away. That protects the league’s lucrative television contracts, but can be a major bummer for fans, particularly since MLB’s definition of “local” is awfully broad.

To watch Chicago Cubs games live on the league’s online service, for instance, you need to be well outside the Chicago metropolitan region. Even Iowa is too close, because the state doesn’t have its own team. In Las Vegas, all five California teams and the Arizona Diamondbacks are blacked out.

The league is lifting some of those restrictions this year, provided you already subscribe to a traditional cable or satellite TV package - and don’t mind announcers who are rooting against your home team. A few cable-like TV packages online might offer another alternative.

Here’s what the playing field looks like from your phone or computer these days.

BASEBALL THE MLB WAY

If you’re a die-hard fan who wants to follow the pennant race, you’re best off with MLB’s premium service, which costs $110 for the season - $20 less than last year - or $25 a month. If the Yankees and the Red Sox are vying for the division’s top spot, the instance, Yankees fans will need the full package to root against the Red Sox.

Also, for the first time, you can follow a single team throughout the season for $85.