Apple, Major League Baseball announce September “Friday Night Baseball” schedule (2024)

Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced the September game schedule for “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader available to Apple TV+ subscribers on Fridays throughout the 2024 regular season. Fans in 60 countries and regions can enjoy two marquee matchups over 26 weeks with no local broadcast restrictions.

September “Friday Night Baseball” Schedule on Apple TV+

Friday, September 6
Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals
8 p.m. ET

San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres
9:30 p.m. ET

Friday, September 13
Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET

Friday, September 20
Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles
7 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets
7 p.m. ET

“Friday Night Baseball” features an exceptional group of broadcast talent in the announcer booths, including Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter). Ted Barrett, Brian Gorman, and Dale Scott — all former MLB umpires — break down rules and calls each week. Game assignments for announcers will be shared on a weekly basis.

Lauren Gardner hosts live pregame coverage, along with former MLB player and analyst Xavier Scruggs, and baseball journalist Russell Dorsey. On September 13, the “Friday Night Baseball” pregame show previewing the Red Sox vs. Yankees and Dodgers vs Braves games will be hosted live from Yankee Stadium, featuring exclusive player interviews and more.

“Friday Night Baseball” is produced by MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning production team in partnership with Apple’s live sports production team, bringing viewers an unparalleled viewing experience. Each game features state-of-the-art cameras to present vivid live-action shots, along with immersive sound in 5.1 with Spatial Audio enabled. “Friday Night Baseball” utilizes drone cameras for beautiful aerial stadium shots, as well as player mics and field-level mics to immerse fans in the gameplay and stadium atmosphere. Fans in the U.S. and Canada have the option to listen to the audio of the home and away teams’ local radio broadcasts during “Friday Night Baseball” games.1

In Apple Sports, fans can follow MLB and their favorite MLB teams to access full MLB stats and scores. Apple Sports is a new free app for iPhone that gives sports fans access to real-time scores, stats, and more.2 Designed for speed and simplicity, the app’s personalized experience puts users’ favorite leagues and teams front and center, featuring an easy-to-use interface designed by Apple.

Fans in the U.S. can enjoy the MLB Big Inning whip-around show featuring live look-ins and in-game highlights every weeknight, and a full slate of MLB-related content on Apple TV+, including Countdown to First Pitch, MLB Daily Recap, and MLB This Week. Fans can also access additional MLB programming for free in the Apple TV app, including condensed game recaps after the completion of the live “Friday Night Baseball” broadcasts each week, classic games, highlights and interviews, and more.

This season, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS is again the exclusive national home of “Friday Night Baseball” for commercial establishments in the U.S. DIRECTV delivers all the action to its network of more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail shops, and other venues throughout the regular season on existing satellite equipment.

In Apple News, fans can easily follow the league and their favorite teams in the MLB feed, and watch personalized MLB highlights right in the News app. Each Friday, fans can also access a curated group of the most exciting stories from around the league, and tap to watch “Friday Night Baseball” directly in the Apple TV app with a subscription to Apple TV+. In Apple Music, fans can find exclusive official playlists featuring the walk-up songs from each week’s teams, as well as a collection of classic songs celebrating baseball.

Apple TV+ subscribers can watch “Friday Night Baseball” on the Apple TV app, which comes preinstalled on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as online at tv.apple.com. The Apple TV app is also available on select smart TVs, including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, TCL, VIZIO, and others; Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices; PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles; Chromecast with Google TV; and set-top boxes, including Sky Q, SK Broadband, and Comcast Xfinity. More information is available at apple.com/apple-tv-app. Fans can follow the action of every game this MLB season right on their iPhone Lock Screen with Live Activities.3 And with the multiview feature on Apple TV 4K devices and iPad, fans can watch up to four simultaneous streams, including “Friday Night Baseball” games, Major League Soccer matches, and select MLS and MLB live shows.4

Pricing and Availability

Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 (U.S.) per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new Apple device can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.

Apple, Major League Baseball announce September “Friday Night Baseball” schedule (2024)

FAQs

How much did Apple TV pay for Friday Night Baseball? ›

In March 2022, Apple Inc. signed a seven-year deal with MLB for the broadcast for US$85 million per year, a total value of $595 million. This includes an annual $55 million rights fee as well as $30 million for Apple advertising. Apple has the right to exit the agreement after the first or second year.

Is Apple TV free for Friday Night Baseball? ›

Fans can also access additional MLB programming for free in the Apple TV app, including condensed game recaps after the completion of the live “Friday Night Baseball” broadcasts each week, classic games, highlights and interviews, and more.

How to get Apple TV for free? ›

That all depends on which offer you choose. (1) If you buy an Apple device, Apple TV+ is included free for 3 months. (2) A monthly subscription is just $9.99 per month after a free 7-day trial. (3) Apple TV+ is included in Apple One, which bundles up to five other Apple services into a single monthly subscription.

How much did Fox pay for MLB? ›

Neal Pilson, who served as the president of CBS Sports when the network had the exclusive television rights for Major League Baseball said of Fox's $2.5 billion deal: It is a lot of baseball.

Do you have to pay for Apple TV to watch MLB? ›

Yes. An Apple TV+ subscription is required to view live games. If you do not currently have an Apple TV+ subscription, you can get 2 free months of Apple TV+. Click here for more details on the free trial offer.

Who calls Friday Night Baseball for Apple TV? ›

“Friday Night Baseball” features an exceptional group of broadcast talent in the announcer booths, including Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter).

How much does Apple MLB cost? ›

MLB is back on Apple TV+. Watch two live games every week, daily coverage, and more. 7 days free, then $9.99/month. Catch up on jaw-dropping dingers, strikeouts, and defensive gems.

Why is Apple TV doing baseball? ›

Why does the Apple deal make sense for MLB? We have been looking for ways to increase reach for our games on a national scale. And even in the local market, the traditional linear bundle has been under pressure. On top of that, you've got the combination of cord-cutters and, more importantly, cord-nevers.

How much does Apple TV make? ›

The analyst estimates that Apple TV+ accounts for just 2% of Apple's services revenue, and that the streaming service had revenue of $1.5 billion in calendar 2022, growing to $2.2 billion in 2023. (The company had $78 billion in services revenue in the fiscal year ended September 2022.)

Will Apple TV have MLB games in 2024? ›

Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced the July game schedule for “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader available to Apple TV+ subscribers on Fridays throughout the 2024 regular season.

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