Apple TV Plus’ first sports deal resumes next month for a new season. Friday Night Baseball starts on April 7, with weekly doubleheaders beginning with the Texas Rangers at the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres at the Atlanta Braves.
Fans in 60 countries and regions can enjoy two marquee matchups over 25 weeks with no local broadcast restrictions. Apple and MLB also announced the Friday Night Baseball schedule for the first half of the season through June 30.
“We can’t wait for ‘Friday Night Baseball’ to start up again, and we’re excited for fans to experience everything new we’re bringing this season,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Apple TV+ truly has something for everyone, from two live baseball games every Friday night to an incredible slate of award-winning original films and series — there’s never been a better time to sign up.”
This season, Friday Night Baseball welcomes a group of broadcast talent to 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). Game assignments for announcers will be shared on a weekly basis.
Live pre- and postgame coverage will again be hosted by Lauren Gardner, along with Siera Santos. Former MLB players Xavier Scruggs and Matt Joyce will serve as analysts alongside baseball journalist Russell Dorsey. Brian Gorman and Dale Scott — both former MLB umpires — will join in breaking down MLB’s new rules for the season.
Friday Night Baseball will be produced by MLB Network’s production team in partnership with Apple. Each game will feature state-of-the-art cameras to present vivid live-action shots and offer immersive sound in 5.1 with Spatial Audio enabled.
Friday Night Baseball will again utilize 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 US and Canada will also have the option to listen to the audio of the home and away teams’ local radio broadcasts during the games.
