Along with Apple's announcement of the Friday Night Major League Baseball Schedule as it returns this April, it appears that the available content is now placed behind a paywall. Users will now have to be subscribed to Apple TV+ in order to watch.
Apple TV+ Subscription for MLB
In the US, anyone who would want to watch baseball games via Apple TV+ will have to pay $6.99 a month to access it. Subscription to access "Friday Night Baseball" will grant them two live MLB games each Friday until the season ends.
There is still a way for you to watch the game without subscribing to Apple TV+. According to MacRumors, "Friday night Baseball" will be available in more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail stores, and other venues through DirectTV in the US.
As for its availability globally, the games can be streamed in 60 countries and regions without broadcast restriction. The schedule shows that the MLB games will begin on April 7th at 2 PM EST, wherein the Chicago Cubs will be facing the Texas Rangers.
Since it is a doubleheader, the San Diego Padres will also be facing the Atlanta Braves at 7 PM EST on the same day. In this season's "Friday Night Baseball," Apple also mentioned the broadcast talent that will be manning the announcer booths.
What to Expect
Wayne Randazzo and Alex Faust will do the play-by-play, Dontrelle Williams and Ryan Spilborghs will take the role of analyst, and Heidi Watney and Tricia Whitaker will take on the role of sideline reporters,
As for the live pre-and postgame coverage, Lauren Gardner and Siera Santos will be the hosts. Former MLB players Xavier Scruggs and Matt Joyce will be the analysts, as well as baseball journalist Russell Dorsey, according to Apple.
Apple has partnered with a production team that will use state-of-the-art cameras to capture vivid live-action shots, as well as provide audio in 5.1 with Spatial Audio enabled. Drone cameras will also be used for aerial shots.
Player mics and field-level mics will also be used so fans can be more immersed in the games. This way, listeners in the US and Canada can listen to the audio of the home and away teams' local radio broadcasts during the baseball games.
'Friday night Baseball' Schedules on Apple TV+
Friday, April 7
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Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs (2 PM EST)
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San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves (7 PM EST)
Friday, April 14
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San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers (6:30 PM EST)
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Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox (7 PM EST)
Friday, April 21
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Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees (7 PM EST)
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Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves (7 PM EST)
Friday, April 28
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Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros (8 PM EST)
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St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers (10 PM EST)
Friday, May 5
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Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds (6:30 PM EST)
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Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians (7 PM EST)
Friday, May 12
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Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers (8 PM EST)
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Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins (8 PM EST)
Friday, May 19
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Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays (7 PM EST)
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Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves (7 PM EST)
Friday, May 26th
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San Diego Padres and New York Yankees (7 PM EST)
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Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers (6:30 PM EST)
Friday, June 2
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Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds (5 PM EST)
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Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins (8 PM EST)
Friday, June 9
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Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles (7 PM EST)
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Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels (9:30 PM EST)
Friday, June 16
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Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers (9:30 PM EST)
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Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners (10 PM EST)
Friday, June 23
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Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers (8 PM EST)
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Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners (10 PM EST)
Friday, June 30
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Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates (7 PM EST)
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Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels (9:30 PM EST)