Cupertino, March 11, 2026 – Alright, baseball fanatics, mark your calendars because “Friday Night Baseball” is officially swinging back onto Apple TV for its fifth season, starting March 27th.
And yes, you guessed it: subscription required.
For fans in over 60 countries and regions, this means a weekly dose of MLB doubleheaders, promising “enhanced production quality,” “expert commentary,” and crucially, no local broadcast restrictions.
That last bit is a game-changer for many, isn’t it? But is Apple’s continued push into live sports worth the monthly fee for true diamond devotees?
The season kicks off with a bang on March 27th, featuring the Los Angeles Angels facing off against the Houston Astros, followed by the Cleveland Guardians battling the Seattle Mariners.
Apple and MLB have already dropped the schedule for the first half of the season, running through June 26th. And what a schedule it is! We’re talking about the iconic New York Subway Series (Yankees vs. Mets, baby!), multiple appearances by the reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani, and even the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers – who’ll be taking on the Cubs at Dodger Stadium, battling the Phillies, and reigniting that fiery NL West rivalry with the San Diego Padres. It sounds like a dream slate for any baseball enthusiast.
2026 “Friday Night Baseball” Schedule on Apple TV
Friday, March 27
Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros
8:15 p.m. ET
Cleveland Guardians at Seattle Mariners
9:45 p.m. ET
Friday, April 3
Milwaukee Brewers at Kansas City Royals
7:45 p.m. ET
Atlanta Braves at Arizona Diamondbacks
9:45 p.m. ET
Friday, April 10
Los Angeles Angels at Cincinnati Reds
6:45 p.m. ET
San Francisco Giants at Baltimore Orioles
7:15 p.m. ET
Friday, April 17
Tampa Bay Rays at Pittsburgh Pirates
6:45 p.m. ET
Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
7:15 p.m. ET
Friday, April 24
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves
7:15 p.m. ET
Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Dodgers
10:15 p.m. ET
Friday, May 1
Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
6:45 p.m. ET
Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners
9:45 p.m. ET
Friday, May 8
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians
7:15 p.m. ET
St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres
9:45 p.m. ET
Friday, May 15
Toronto Blue Jays at Detroit Tigers
6:45 p.m. ET
New York Yankees at New York Mets
7:15 p.m. ET
Friday, May 22
Houston Astros at Chicago Cubs
2:20 p.m. ET
Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles
7:15 p.m. ET
Friday, May 29
Minnesota Twins at Pittsburgh Pirates
6:45 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers
10:15 p.m. ET
Friday, June 5
Cleveland Guardians at Texas Rangers
8:15 p.m. ET
Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins
8:15 p.m. ET
Friday, June 12
Arizona Diamondbacks at Cincinnati Reds
7:15 p.m. ET
Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
7:15 p.m. ET
Friday, June 19
St. Louis Cardinals at Kansas City Royals
8:15 p.m. ET
Minnesota Twins at Arizona Diamondbacks
9:45 p.m. ET
Friday, June 26
Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers
7:45 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres
9:45 p.m. ET
Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Apple Music, Apple TV, Sports, and Beats, clearly believes they’re hitting it out of the park, stating “‘Friday Night Baseball’ on Apple TV continues to elevate how fans experience the game.”
He’s particularly stoked about the “cutting-edge production,” including integrating iPhones to capture “immersive new perspectives.” Now, that’s interesting. This isn’t just a casual shout-out; the iPhone 17 Pro actually made its debut in the live production workflow of “Friday Night Baseball” last season.
In fact, that milestone broadcast (a Red Sox walk-off win, no less!) was so significant that the National Baseball Hall of Fame added one of the authenticated iPhones to its permanent collection. Innovation or just a very clever marketing stunt? You decide, but it’s certainly gotten some attention.
The familiar broadcast teams are returning for their fourth consecutive season, bringing back Wayne Randazzo, Dontrelle Willis, and Heidi Watney for one duo, and Alex Faust, Ryan Spilborghs, and Tricia Whitaker for the other. Rich Waltz is also joining the crew for select games.
Beyond the Friday night action, Apple TV is beefing up its MLB content starting March 26th, offering the “MLB Big Inning” whip-around show every weeknight (a must-have for fantasy players, surely), plus daily recaps and weekly previews.
Oh, and plenty of free content like game recaps and classic highlights on the Apple TV app itself.
So, how does one actually watch all this goodness? An Apple TV subscription runs $12.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial if you’re new to the service. And if you’ve recently bought a new Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac), you might even snag three months free.
Conveniently, you can also subscribe through other platforms like Prime Video, Roku, Comcast Xfinity, and DIRECTV.
Plus, for all you sports bar owners out there, DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS and EverPass are offering commercial establishments access to Apple TV’s live sports programming, including all MLS matches and F1 in the U.S., too.
Apple’s commitment to integrating deeper into the MLB fan experience doesn’t stop with just the games. They’ve got the free Apple Sports app for iPhone – perfect for staying on top of scores, stats, and standings with Live Activities and easy sharing.
Apple News will feature MLB feeds and personalized highlights, and Apple Music will even offer official playlists with players’ walk-up songs.
It’s a pretty comprehensive ecosystem, isn’t it? This isn’t just about broadcasting games; it’s about trying to own the entire fan experience. Will it draw in more subscribers, or just serve the hardcore fans who are already paying up? The game is on, indeed.
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