Apple will soon offer MLB games on its streaming platform, with plans to air a weekly “Friday Night Baseball” doubleheader exclusively on Apple TV+. Subscribers will also have access to a nightly highlight show called “The Big Inning” and a 24/7 livestream of game replays and analysis. This marks the tech giant’s first entry into live sports, announcing itself as a competitor to Amazon Prime, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock and Paramount+. Apple TV+ launched in 2019, debuting The Morning Show and Ted Lasso, among other original series, with the latter garnering four Primetime Emmy Awards.
“Just like all baseball fans, we can’t wait for the season to open,” said VP of services Peter Stern in Tuesday’s press release. “Baseball has a special place in the heart of so many Apple customers—not just in the United States, but in many countries around the world. We’re proud to make Apple TV+ the home for great baseball moments throughout the season.”
This could be a way for Apple to test the waters ahead of its expected pursuit of NFL Sunday Ticket with streaming rights potentially up for grabs next year (the NFL’s deal with DirecTV expires after 2022). According to John Ourand of Sports Business Journal, MLB has also been in negotiations to air select games on Peacock, a streaming service owned and operated by NBCUniversal.
MLB has been desperate to reach a younger audience and creating a larger footprint in the streaming world would certainly accomplish that. Of course, MLB’s current gridlock with players and owners still at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement complicates matters. MLB has refused to budge on its CBT (competitive balance threshold), a divide that has arguably been the biggest point of contention in labor talks. Many on social media saw the hypocrisy of MLB’s perceived penny-pinching amid a new partnership with Apple, the richest company on Earth with a bewildering $2.6-trillion market cap.
Apple’s “Friday Night Baseball” telecasts will be available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Brazil with more streaming territories to follow.
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