Apple’s ‘Friday Night Baseball’ Returns March 28
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It’s that time of year again for baseball fans. Spring training kicked off the day after the iPhone 16e was released on February 20. With the regular season set to open on Thursday, March 27, Apple is once again on board to broadcast a double-header every week on Friday Night Baseball, starting the very next night.
In a press release today, Apple announced that the weekly series will return for a fourth season on March 28, opening with Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays followed by New York Mets at Houston Astros.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET for the first game, with coverage for the second opening at 7:30 p.m. ET. The games will be broadcast on Apple TV+ to fans in over 60 countries and regions, with Apple’s usual enhanced production quality, expert commentary, and — most importantly — no blackouts.
This means that folks in Toronto and Houston will be able to enjoy these games on Apple TV+ on March 28, as will other fans of local teams throughout the 25-week series. As before, fans in the US will also be able to listen to home and away local radio broadcasts for most games, while Canadians will be able to listen to the local broadcasts for Blue Jays home games.
In addition to the date of the opening pitch for Friday Night Baseball, Apple has also published the game schedule for the first half of the season, running through June 27. The press release highlights some of the more notable matchups we can expect, including a Yankees-Dodgers World Series rematch in Los Angeles on May 30 that fans surely won’t want to miss.
The Dodgers will also head east to fact off against the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets on April 4 and May 23, while the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros will also have a showdown in their home state on May 16.
We’re thrilled to bring another season of ‘Friday Night Baseball’ to Apple TV+, with top-tier production quality that baseball fans love. This season, we’re excited to offer an amazing lineup of games with no blackouts, available across more devices than ever before.
Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats
Apple is bringing back its broadcast teams from the previous two seasons, with games being called by Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), and Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), and Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter). Pre- and postgame coverage will also be handled by the usual talent, including Lauren Gardner, Russell Dorsey, and Xavier Scruggs, while Siera Santos will host select pregame shows and Rich Waltz will call select games.
The MLB Big Inning whip-around show will also return on March 27, featuring the usual assortment of live look-ins and in-game highlights throughout the week, alongside Countdown to First Pitch, MLB Daily Recap, and MLB This Week for Apple TV+ subscribers.
For the first time, Vision Pro users can also enjoy a limited Apple Immersive Video experience with VIP: Yankee Stadium, where broadcasting legend Joe Buck will take viewers into Yankee Stadium for a behind-the-scenes all-access-pass covering the matchup between the Yankees and their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, from early morning prep scenes to the tense nighttime finale, and everything in between.
Those without a Vision Pro (which, let’s face it, is most of us), will still be able to enjoy Fight For Glory: 2024 World Series, a three-part documentary that Apple describes as “the first all-access docuseries exploring the dramatic, high-stakes world of the World Series where the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers battle to capture the most storied trophy in American sports.” The series will include behind-the-scenes coverage and interviews with players, coaches, fans, journalists, and family members of both teams, with a “never-before-seen view of each team’s journey through the postseason.”
Friday Night Baseball is available to Apple TV+ subscribers at no additional charge. It can be watched anywhere Apple’s streaming service is available, from the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, to smart TVs, game consoles, streaming boxes, and now even Android smartphones. Prime Video customers in the US, UK, and Canada can also subscribe to Apple TV+ as an add-on subscription.
