Baseball fans in the UK and six other countries will join with those in the United States for a new weekly doubleheader with live pre- and postgame shows.
Friday Night Baseball follows a newly announced partnership between Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB). It will be available on Apple TV+ in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, and will expand to additional countries at a later date.
It’s the first time that Apple has entered the sports arena.
Fans will be able to watch marquee games on Friday nights, free from the local blackouts that have characterised local transmissions in the United States.
For a limited time the content will be available without a subscription, on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple desktops, and partners such as Samsung TVs, Amazon Fire sticks, Sky Q and the recently announced Comcast devices.
“Just like all baseball fans, we can’t wait for the season to open,” said Peter Stern, Apple’s vice president of Services. “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.”
“Apple is the ideal partner to bring ‘Friday Night Baseball’ to fans around the world,” said Noah Garden, MLB’s chief revenue officer. “Following milestones like the launch of At Bat on day one of the App Store in 2008 to the integration of Apple technology in ballparks across the country, this robust new game package is the perfect next collaboration in our long history of offering quality and innovative content to our fans. With national availability and international reach, MLB on Apple TV+ offers an exciting new platform to fans that allows a wider audience to connect with the game.”
Apple and MLB will also provide enhanced league and team coverage for fans to easily follow the league or their favorite teams in Apple News, with the ability to watch highlights right in the News app.
