CUPERTINO, Kalifornien –
Apple will enter the live sports coverage arena with Friday Night Baseball.
Apple and Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that Apple TV+ will broadcast a weekly doubleheader in eight countries on Friday nights at the start of the regular season. Games will initially be available without the need for an Apple TV+ subscription.
Matches will be available exclusively on Apple TV+ and not on teams’ regional sports networks.
MLB has been in a walkout 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.
Broadcasts on Apple TV+ include pre-game and post-game shows and are not subject to local broadcast lockdown restrictions. They are produced by MLB Network.
In addition to being presented in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the games will also initially be available in Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
The agreement also includes the weekday show “MLB Big Inning” for fans in the US and a live stream channel for viewers in the US and Canada.
MLB has considered selling a midweek game package, with ESPN trimming regular-season coverage to 30 games, mostly on Sunday nights. Turner Sports will have Tuesday night games under a new rights deal that begins this season.
Apple and MLB have worked closely together 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 looks to expand into other leagues. The company is tracking streaming NFL games when the league’s “Sunday Ticket” expires at the end of the upcoming season.
