MLB and Apple have just announced a partnership that will take effect next season.
Basically, every Friday night there will be a doubleheader airing exclusively on Apple TV+.
Major League Baseball’s newest TV partner: Apple.
At the company’s event today, it announced a deal with the league to carry a Friday Night Baseball doubleheader on Apple TV+ starting this season. Games will be exclusively broadcast on the streaming service.
—Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 8, 2022
For a limited time, no subscription will be required. Inevitably, this means that one day it will become so.
Apple will also offer other services, such as highlights, pre- and post-game shows and stuff like that. We imagine that a subscription will be necessary for this as well.
More info on the@MLBdeal with@Applewhich includes a live weeknight show w/ highlights and look-ins, and access to a 24/7 livestream with MLB game replays, news + analysis, highlights, classic games and more, plus on-demand programming https://t.co/SHxDr43bvD
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 8, 2022
Games shown exclusively on Facebook/YouTube are never fan favourites. the broadcasting normal isn’t there and it’s not as accessible.
And there, right when fans are tired of seeing the sport being out of work, such an agreement is announced. This will not make fans happy, who see MLB finding another way to make money without signing a collective agreement.
A day will come when we won’t like baseball anymore
We would never have dared to say that one day… and yet.
I imagine that will complicate negotiations with the players, who will want their share of the cake in this agreement.
Remember that if the collective agreement is not signed today, a season of 162 games will be impossible to hold. At the same time, I say that without knowing if the deadline of the day is really fixed…
MLB hasn’t set a firm deadline today for the MLBPA to respond to the league’s latest proposal.
—Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 8, 2022
