Apple TV+ broadcast its first major league baseball games live this Friday. A first for the streaming service which therefore set foot in a whole new sector for it, certainly promised to enrich itself with competitions from other sports in the long term.
These live games were also an opportunity to see how Apple was going to manage this new feature on its airwaves, and baseball fans were not disappointed… for good or bad. The quality of the video stream was praised: it was not 4K, but 1080p in 60 fps, with a bitrate of 8 mbps, noted a user of Reddit.
Another satisfaction: a sober dressing which denotes with the usual Christmas tree of broadcasts on other channels. The banners and statistics were discreet, many also appreciated the absence of sponsors whose logos tend to invade the space on the screen. Apple TV+ also displays the estimated area where the ball will land, as well as the pitcher’s probability percentage.
Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ is already a cleaner experience. No major ad banners and IN YOUR FACE sponsorships, with a rough strike zone and probability stat on the corner.
Can y’all get NBA next! ❤️ THIS! @AppleTVMore pic.twitter.com/tWIgbgNrvv
— Brian Tong (@briantong) April 9, 2022
The San Francisco police, extensively used by Apple in its operating systems, software and even in its marketing, has also been honored in the information panels and banners during the matches.
The Friday Night Baseball broadcasts on @AppleTV is using its own graphics package. Looks like they are going for a simple and effective look while also looking on-brand with Apple. #Baseball #MLB #Apple #Broadcasting pic.twitter.com/ZT0sTModDU
— Caleb Bouchy (@CTreySports) April 8, 2022
However, all was not rosy during these retransmissions. The video stream was coupé Where disturbed in many viewers. And the commentators have not been to the party among aficionados, whom they criticized for not not know much baseball, talking about unrelated things like their pets or apple products (as long as you do promotion), or even to show off really too enthusiastic at the slightest phase of the game.
Nothing can ruin baseball… and then Apple TV + came along
— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) April 9, 2022
Another surprise, the broadcast was sponsored by a sports betting site (BetMGM) very visible during the pre-match broadcast. And there were commercial breaks showing no spots in countries where it hadn’t been planned (like in Canada). One would have thought that Apple would have taken the opportunity to promote its Apple TV + programs, a missed opportunity.
In short, it was not a home run (home run) for this first Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball, but the platform has time to improve: it will broadcast matches until June 24. Matches to watch for free without subscription for a limited time, however only eight countries are entitled to them: United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea and United Kingdom.
