NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s first labor proposal contains an offer from the owners that could, over time, lead to the end of the territorial TV rights system that creates out-of-market “blackouts.”That might conjure an image for some fans of a long-desired, single service to watch all of their favorite team’s baseball games. But the reality is different and complicated.The term “blackouts” applies specifically to local broadcasts. If it gets rid of the territory system, MLB indeed might be able to put local broadcasts all in one place. Over time, that could spell the death of the “out-of-market” vs. “in-market” distinction that frustrates many fans.To watch most ballgames today, you might need a map. If you’re trying to watch a game inside your favorite team’s territory, you cannot watch your team’s games via MLB’s “out-of-market” streaming service, MLB.tv. That creates confusion and sometimes leaves fans without an easy way to watch games.Beyond those local matchups, an entirely different class of games exists: the national games, such as those on ESPN, NBC or Netflix. For those, fans would still need access to other channels or services. MLB is simultaneously planning to increase the number of games available nationally starting in 2029, while reducing the number of games available locally.Therefore, no matter what happens during bargaining between players and owners, fans will probably still need several paid subscriptions to watch every game their favorite team plays.And there are several other key points to understand, too.The first is that, at least for now, MLB is offering to end local blackouts only if the players accept a salary cap — something players have always said they will not do.The Players Association believes MLB is attempting to portray the territorial rights system as something the players control, when they do not. Whether the owners would consider eliminating blackouts without a cap isn’t known at this point.“There are some aspects of media that really don’t involve us, like blackouts,” interim union head Bruce Meyer said Monday. “That’s a function of the way the league has structured its media rights.”The existing territorial set-up exists mostly for profit. It limits the way fans can watch games, and historically, that exclusivity has helped teams, broadcasters, and the cable and satellite companies that carry baseball channels to make a lot of money. Ultimately, some of that money has helped grow player salaries, too.But local TV revenues are drying up in many places, leading the league to search for a new plan.Why are the owners offering this in a cap system? Because with the other financial benefits they’d gain, all the teams are newly willing to share their local TV revenues equally. That’s a radical change, one that commissioner Rob Manfred has said for the last couple of years he wants.