Apple, MLB announce 'Friday Night Baseball' package

Posted March 08, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Apple will enter the live sports coverage arena with 'œFriday Night Baseball.'ť

Apple and Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that Apple TV+ will carry a weekly doubleheader on Friday nights in eight countries when the regular season begins. Games will initially be available without the need for an Apple TV+ subscription.

The games will be exclusively on Apple TV+ and will not be available on team's regional sports networks.

MLB has been under a work stoppage since owners locked out players at the end of the collective bargaining agreement. At 97 days, it is the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history.

The broadcasts on Apple TV+ will include pregame and postgame shows and will not be subject to local broadcast blackout restrictions. They will be produced by MLB Network.

Besides being shown in the United States, Canada and Mexico, games will also initially be available in Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The agreement also includes the 'œMLB Big Inning'ť weekday show for fans in the US as well as a livestream channel for those watching in the US and Canada.

MLB has been exploring selling a weeknight package of games with ESPN reducing its coverage of the regular season to 30 games, mostly on Sunday nights. Turner Sports will have games on Tuesday nights under a new rights deal that begins this season.

Apple and MLB have been closely aligned for years. MLB At Bat was one of the first apps to go live on the Apple app store in 2008.

The deal also comes as Apple is looking to expand to other leagues. The company has been pursuing streaming of NFL games when the league's 'œSunday Ticket'ť expires at the end of the upcoming season.

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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

UCLA plays Baylor during an NCAA college baseball game at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, during the Shriners Children's College Classic, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Houston. College baseball might turn out to be an attractive alternative for baseball fans if the Major League Baseball lockout extends deep into the spring. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) The Associated Press

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