Apple has unveiled the spring schedule for Friday Night Baseball, which will resume on April 7. But the MLB games have one new caveat – viewers now need an Apple TV+ subscription to watch the games.
That development doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. When Apple first announced the streaming deal last March, it noted Friday Night Baseball will be available without a subscription “for a limited time.” Apple last fall raised its monthly TV+ subscription by $2 to $6.99 per month, the service’s first price hike since its debut in November 2019.
Friday Night Baseball features two weekly live games on Fridays along with pre- and post-game coverage. The sports package runs over 25 weeks with no local broadcast restrictions. Games are available to Apple TV+ subscribers across 60 countries and regions.
However, there’s still a way to watch Friday Night Baseball without a subscription. In the U.S., DirecTV for Business will provide out of home viewing to over 300,000 restaurants, bars and other venues on existing satellite equipment. The satellite pay TV provider has a similar agreement in place to deliver Apple’s Major League Soccer Season Pass.
Additionally, baseball fans in the U.S. and Canada have the option to tune into local radio broadcasts for their home and away teams. Some MLB programming will be available for free on the Apple TV app, like condensed game recaps, classic games, highlights and interviews.
“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 SVP of Services, in a statement. “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.”
The agreement with MLB was Apple’s first foray into live sports. The tech giant last month began live streaming Major League Soccer games via the MLS Season Pass, as part of an exclusive 10-year deal.
More live sports may make an appearance on Apple TV+. Bloomberg reported on Thursday Apple is considering a bid for Premier League soccer games in the U.K. Amazon is one streamer that’s gotten into U.K. sports rights, as it plans to stream UEFA Champions League games beginning in 2024.
Separately, Apple reportedly plans to spend $1 billion a year on theatrical releases and is supposedly in talks with some movie studios. Apple’s “CODA” made history in 2022 as the first streaming movie to nab a Best Picture Oscar. This year, Apple TV+’s “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.