Apple’s new Friday Night Baseball now has a premiere date, with the first two big games set to debut next Friday, April 8.
The new MLB streaming deal came as a surprise during Apple’s Peek Performance event earlier this month, with the company announcing that it would soon begin broadcasting a double-header of marquee games every Friday night to Apple TV+ subscribers, along with a few other perks for those in the U.S. and Canada.
However, at the time, Apple couldn’t share any specifics on when games would begin streaming, which is understandable as the MLB and its Players Association were locked in a labor dispute, holding back the start of the 2022 season.
However, that’s been resolved, and Apple is ready to go with its debut pair of games on April 8, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. First up will be the New York Mets at Washington Nationals, followed by Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The 2022 slate begins on April 8 when Max Scherzer and the Mets take on Juan Soto and the Nationals at 7 p.m. ET. The defending American League champions, the Astros, will be followed by visiting reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, who is scheduled to take the hill and hit leadoff for the Angels.
Brian Murphy, MLB
The MLB has also shared its full Friday Night Baseball schedule, outlining all of the games on Apple TV+ for the first half of the season, which runs through June 24. Here’s the complete list:
- Friday, April 8, 7:00 p.m. ET: New York Mets at Washington Nationals
- Friday, April 8, 9:30 p.m. ET: Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels
- Friday, April 15, 7:00 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox
- Friday, April 15, 10:00 p.m. ET: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers
- Friday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. ET: St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds
- Friday, April 22, 9:30 p.m. ET: Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics
- Friday, April 29, 8 p.m. ET: New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals
- Friday, April 29, 10 p.m. ET: Washington Nationals at San Francisco Giants
- Friday, May 6, 7 p.m. ET: Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox
- Friday, May 6, 9:30 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners
- Friday, May 13, 7 p.m. ET: San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
- Friday, May 13, 9:30 p.m. ET: Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks
- Friday, May 20, 6:30 p.m. ET: St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates
- Friday, May 20, 8 p.m. ET: Texas Rangers at Houston Astros
- Friday, May 27, 7 p.m. ET: Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
- Friday, May 27, 9:30 p.m. ET: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels
- Friday, June 3, 7 p.m. ET: Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees
- Friday, June 3, 8:30 p.m. ET: Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies
- Friday, June 10, 8 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins
- Friday, June 10, 9:30 p.m. ET: New York Mets at Los Angeles Angels
- Friday, June 17, 8 p.m. ET: Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros
- Friday, June 17, 10 p.m. ET: Cleveland Guardians at Los Angeles Dodgers
- Friday, June 24, 8 p.m. ET: Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals
- Friday, June 24, 9:30 p.m. ET: Detroit Tigers at Arizona Diamondbacks
While Apple has announced that these games are airing for free on Apple TV+, it’s unclear when you’ll eventually require a subscription to keep watching them. So far, Apple is only saying they’ll be available “for a limited time, without the need for a subscription.”
Apple also adds that Friday Night Baseball will commemorate Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, marking the Hall of Famer’s historic Major League debut. This will include coverage of reigning American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena and the Tampa Bay Rays visiting All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson and the Chicago White Sox.
The night’s second game will feature Robinson’s MLB franchise, the Los Angeles Dodgers facing National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Jonathan India and the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.
Each Friday night game will also include live pre- and postgame shows in every country where Friday Night Baseball is available, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Apple TV+ subscribers in the U.S. and Canada will also be able to access a 24/7 Livestream of MLB game replays, news and analysis, highlights, classic games, and much more.
Those in the U.S. can enjoy “MLB Big Inning,” a live show airing every weeknight featuring highlights and insider info on what’s happening in the MLB.