Apple announced Wednesday that its first weekly Friday Night Baseball twin bill be on April 7, with Texas Rangers visiting the Chicago Cubs, followed by the San Diego Padres at the Atlanta Braves.
Apple also announced its 2023 Friday Night Baseball schedule through June 30 — that’s pasted below.
But unlike last season, the first for Apple's seven-year, $85 million streaming rights deal with Major League Baseball, there's no free ticket for fans. To watch this season's games, users will have to subscribe to the $6.99-a-month Apple TV Plus service. (Upside: Season 3 of Ted Lasso just started last week.)
Also read: Apple Makes History with Friday Night Baseball Debut
Apple tipped us that the pitch was coming last season in its terms of service, which described Friday Night Baseball as being free "for a limited time."
Meanwhile, after carving out a deal with DirecTV for Business last month to show its MLS Season Pass package in bars, restaurants and other public establishments, Apple has announced a similar arrangement for Friday Night Baseball. MLB games on Apple TV Plus will be shown this season in more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail shops and other venues throughout the regular season.
DirecTV for Business also has a rebroadcast arrangement with Amazon for Thursday Night Football. However, notably different from Amazon Prime Video’s TNF franchise, Apple’s FNB has some downright decent matchups in the early part of the season, starting with the opening night game between the Padres and Braves — two National League playoff teams last season.
Other games that catch our eye at first glance include the April 21 matchup between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, which battled for the American League East last season, followed by the World Series Champion Houston Astros (hurts to type that) visiting the Braves.
The following week, the World Series runner-up Philadelphia Phillies get a rematch at Houston, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals visiting the perennially powerful Los Angeles Dodgers in a rivalry game. ■
2023 ‘Friday Night Baseball’ Schedule on Apple TV Plus
Friday, April 7
Texas Rangers at Chicago Cubs
2 p.m. ET
San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET
Friday, April 14
San Francisco Giants at Detroit Tigers
6:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Angels at Boston Red Sox
7 p.m. ET
Friday, April 21
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET
Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET
Friday, April 28
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros
8 p.m. ET
St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers
10 p.m. ET
Friday, May 5
Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati Reds
6:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians
7 p.m. ET
Friday, May 12
Kansas City Royals at Milwaukee Brewers
8 p.m. ET
Chicago Cubs at Minnesota Twins
8 p.m. ET
Friday, May 19
Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays
7 p.m. ET
Seattle Mariners at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET
Friday, May 26
San Diego Padres at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET
Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers
6:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 2
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
5 p.m. ET
Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins
8 p.m. ET
Friday, June 9
Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles
7 p.m. ET
Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels
9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 16
Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers
8 p.m. ET
Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners
10 p.m. ET
Friday, June 23
Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins
6:30 p.m. ET
New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
7 p.m. ET
Friday, June 30
Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates
7 p.m. ET
Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels
9:30 p.m. ET
