This is why you couldn't watch the end of the Mets-Braves game on YouTube TV

For MLB fans, the concept of a game being blacked out and not broadcast in their area is not new. But many YouTube TV subscribers were surprised when the game they were watching was suddenly blocked without warning. We now know why YouTube TV viewers were left in the dark about the final outcome of the game.

Yesterday, the Mets and Braves squared off in a matchup that should help set the field for the playoffs and determine who gets the final two wild card spots in the National League. The game was listed as available to watch on YouTube TV and remained so until the bottom of the eighth inning. When it was time to go into the ninth inning, subscribers didn't get to see the end of the game.

According to a Reddit moderator, the game appears to have always been intended to be a SportsNet New York (SNY) exclusive. As for why YouTube TV didn't just let its subscribers watch the final inning after this mistake, that seems to be more the fault of the MLB than the streaming service. The host adds that “YouTube TV does not specify blackouts” and that MLB did not properly report the blackout, leading to a delay in implementation.

Another commenter says that after contacting ESPN customer service, he was informed that MLB had enforced the blackout. They were also told that the reason the game wasn't showing as blocked on the ESPN app had to do with an issue on MLB's part.

In short, it appears that the MLB made a mistake and accidentally allowed fans to watch a SNY-exclusive game. In return, YouTube TV had to comply with MLB's enforcement of the blackout even though the game was almost over.