On the morning after a thrilling end to the World Baseball Classic, Apple TV+ has announced its Friday Night Baseball schedule for the upcoming Major League Baseball season. Like last year, Apple will offer a doubleheader on Friday nights, but there’s one major change: the games are no longer free to watch and require an Apple TV+ subscription.
MLB Network, in partnership with Apple, will be producing the broadcasts, with multiple, well-placed cameras–and even drone cameras–to capture the action. The sound is offered in 5.1 with Spatial Audio, and the games include players and field-level mics for an immersive experience. Viewers in the U.S. and Canada have the option to listen to the audio of the home and away teams’ local radio broadcasts.
The MLB season starts on March 30, but the first Friday Night Baseball games will air a week later on April 7. All games will be available in 60 countries and regions, without any local broadcast restrictions. The first contest is actually a day game featuring an interleague matchup between the Texas Rangers and the Chicago Cubs at 2 p.m. ET, while the second game has the San Diego Padres visiting the Atlanta Braves (7 p.m. ET).
“We can’t wait for ‘Friday Night Baseball’ to start up again, and we’re excited for fans to experience everything new we’re bringing this season,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, in a press release. “Apple TV+ truly has something for everyone, from two live baseball games every Friday night, to an incredible slate of award-winning original films and series–there’s never been a better time to sign up.”
Our Friday Night Baseball FAQ has more information about the 2023 season, including the broadcast schedule, game announcers, and additional MLB coverage.
An Apple TV+ subscription costs $6.99/£6.99 per month, and there are numerous ways to get Apple TV+ for free for a few months. You can also sign up for Apple One, which is a package of Apple services that includes Apple TV+. The prices for Apple One range from $16.95/£16.95 per month for an individual plan to $32.95/£32.95 per month for family plans.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.