Finding Ways to Watch Royals Games Will Remain a Challenge in 2023

It's only January, but cable providers are already causing issues for Kansas City Royals fans.

I usually try to keep my pieces fair, considering players, fans and the Kansas City Royals alike. One topic to which I am unequivocally opposed, however, is MLB blackouts and how difficult it can be to watch a Royals game at times.

This came back into my head after Fastwyre, a cable and broadband provider in Missouri and Nebraska, said they were not carrying Bally Sports Kansas City. They are not the only cable provider to do so, but this is another sign of how Royals fans have to jump through hoops to simply watch baseball. You would think that an MLB.TV subscription would solve all the issues, but that only works for fans outside the geographical "blackout" area.

MLB blackout map from 2019

Look at this from the 1,000-foot level, and you see how asinine blackouts are. Fans who live more than a 10-hour drive from Kauffman Stadium cannot watch a game unless they have a specific TV provider. It's frustrating.

Regional sports networks (RSNs) like Bally are just doing business, but the individual teams that enable those RSNs are culpable in this blackout problem. Plus, MLB as a whole tries to force fans into the stands with these blackout policies. A fan from New Mexico, let alone one from Kansas or Missouri, is unlikely to attend a weekday game at Kauffman Stadium.

Consider the current middle-class economy for a moment, and think of all the subscription services a cord-cutter would have to pay to watch all of the Royals' games. Apple TV, Peacock, and MLB.TV all bring their own flavors to a game, but should fans have to pay $40 a month to watch? No. They shouldn't be expected to, either. The Royals, while entertaining, will likely not contend for the AL Central in 2023. Only the "die-hard" fans are currently watching.

MLB has made some changes to MLB.TV in recent years, but no sweeping alterations that affect in-market customers. That all stems from each individual team. Because these teams can force in-market fans to either attend the game in person or watch the game on a network that pays the team for their broadcasting deal, both options are inconveniences for most fans but benefit each organization's financial bottom line.

It's frustrating that these antiquated blackout rules will still govern MLB in 2023. Fans have to dodge through VPNs, multiple streaming services and more just to watch their favorite teams while MLB clubs get paid all the same. It's unfair to fans, but there is little to no relief on the horizon. Truly, I wish there was.