Apple looking to acquire broadcasting rights for MLB games - UPDATE deal announced 3/8
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LadyStanley
Registered User
MMC
Global Moderator
I guess that is the end of Friday night games on MLB Network
Apple and Major League Baseball to offer “Friday Night Baseball”
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader with live pre- and postgame shows that will be available to fans in eight countries exclusively on Apple TV+ as soon as the regular season begins.
In addition to “Friday Night Baseball,” fans in the US will be able to enjoy “MLB Big Inning,” a live show featuring highlights and look-ins airing every weeknight during the regular season. Baseball fans in the US and Canada will also have access to a new 24/7 livestream with MLB game replays, news and analysis, highlights, classic games, and more, as well as a full complement of on-demand programming, including highlights and MLB-themed original content.
Fans will be able to watch marquee games on Friday nights, free from local broadcast restrictions, across devices where Apple TV+ can be found, including on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and HD, and on tv.apple.com, along with select smart TVs, gaming consoles, and cable set-top boxes. “Friday Night Baseball” will be available on Apple TV+ — and, for a limited time, without the need for a subscription.
Apple and Major League Baseball to offer “Friday Night Baseball”
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple and Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced “Friday Night Baseball,” a weekly doubleheader with live pre- and postgame shows that will be available to fans in eight countries exclusively on Apple TV+ as soon as the regular season begins.
In addition to “Friday Night Baseball,” fans in the US will be able to enjoy “MLB Big Inning,” a live show featuring highlights and look-ins airing every weeknight during the regular season. Baseball fans in the US and Canada will also have access to a new 24/7 livestream with MLB game replays, news and analysis, highlights, classic games, and more, as well as a full complement of on-demand programming, including highlights and MLB-themed original content.
Fans will be able to watch marquee games on Friday nights, free from local broadcast restrictions, across devices where Apple TV+ can be found, including on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and HD, and on tv.apple.com, along with select smart TVs, gaming consoles, and cable set-top boxes. “Friday Night Baseball” will be available on Apple TV+ — and, for a limited time, without the need for a subscription.
IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
At least you get you get all the out market games with being forced to pay for ESPN+.
From a viewer perspective MLB’s tv deals may be worse than the NHL deals as there are so many partners the average person is unlikely to know when and where a game is on. I follow this stuff and have a hard time deciphering him MLB’s tv structure works.
Here's what should happen in the TV deals from 2029 onward:
Sunday afternoon: National game on ABC (starting third week of May)
Sunday night: ESPN
Monday night: Apple TV+
Tuesday night: TBS
Wednesday night: Peacock
Thursday night: MLB Network
Friday night: Paramount Network (produced by CBS Sports, which Paramount Network should acquire more high-profile sports that are too prestigious to air on CBSSN)
Saturday afternoon: Fox Sports 1 (doubleheaders until CFB season begins, singleheaders in September)
Saturday night: 4 regional games on Fox
All games on cable outlets (except Sunday nights on ESPN) would be non-exclusive and be blacked out in the home territories of the participating teams.
Sunday afternoon: National game on ABC (starting third week of May)
Sunday night: ESPN
Monday night: Apple TV+
Tuesday night: TBS
Wednesday night: Peacock
Thursday night: MLB Network
Friday night: Paramount Network (produced by CBS Sports, which Paramount Network should acquire more high-profile sports that are too prestigious to air on CBSSN)
Saturday afternoon: Fox Sports 1 (doubleheaders until CFB season begins, singleheaders in September)
Saturday night: 4 regional games on Fox
All games on cable outlets (except Sunday nights on ESPN) would be non-exclusive and be blacked out in the home territories of the participating teams.
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So what chance will Peacock's broadcasts use the Brisco County Jr. theme like NBC did in its last few years airing MLB?
awfulwaffle
Registered User
SJSharksfan39
Registered User
I love how they have all these exclusivities now and still charge something like MLB.TV 120 for a full season. You lose games, you have to be a subscriber to those other networks that have the games, and it's a lot more inconvenient for the consumer just to know where to look for said game. I guess this was the logical conclusion to the Cord Cutting craze, but for a league desperate to gain fans, this might just turn fans off of the league.
Why would one ever get MLB.TV now, especially with that service being inferior than it used to be.
Why would one ever get MLB.TV now, especially with that service being inferior than it used to be.
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
Lockout proved owners (at least mot of them) does not care about the future of baseball.
I've proposed a realignment into 4 leagues based on history. And every cable network listed is gonna be needed for the playoffs. The four controlled by a major media conglomerate (FS1, PN, ESPN, TBS) would be assigned one league for each of the first two rounds of my new postseason format.
And besides, having every big 5 media conglomerate (including NBCUniversal through Peacock) broadcast MLB games either on linear TV or streaming would make MLB unique in that regard. NFL only has four of those conglomerates broadcasting games, all but Warner Bros.-Discovery.
IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
Now if Amazon were to acquire in the future the soon-to-be-formed Warner Bros.-Discovery, they could move some of the Thursday Night Football package to perhaps TruTV, and Seattle-based Amazon's sports broadcasting division would become the West Coast branch of Turner Sports (otherwise based in Atlanta). This would make the NFL have all big 5 media conglomerates in their pocket too.
For any league, being able to broadcast on outlets owned by every single media conglomerate in the Big 5 would be a big deal.
Right now, the NBA and NHL have only two these conglomerates in their fold - both have deals with Disney and WB-Discovery.
The NBA's media deals are up for renewal in 2025. They could enter the streaming market at that point, perhaps using NBCUniversal's Peacock. In addition, ABC, ESPN, and TNT would continue to broadcast games, but now I propose ABC would now only broadcast regular season games on Sunday afternoons and have a portion of the Christmas slate, with the Saturday night games moving to CBS, who also airs a portion of the Christmas schedule. ABC and CBS would alternate the NBA Finals, and CBS and Turner would co-produce all games airing on CBS and TNT (similar to March Madness), using TNT's theme. In addition to NBCUniversal, this would also add Paramount Global to the NBA fold.
For any league, being able to broadcast on outlets owned by every single media conglomerate in the Big 5 would be a big deal.
Right now, the NBA and NHL have only two these conglomerates in their fold - both have deals with Disney and WB-Discovery.
The NBA's media deals are up for renewal in 2025. They could enter the streaming market at that point, perhaps using NBCUniversal's Peacock. In addition, ABC, ESPN, and TNT would continue to broadcast games, but now I propose ABC would now only broadcast regular season games on Sunday afternoons and have a portion of the Christmas slate, with the Saturday night games moving to CBS, who also airs a portion of the Christmas schedule. ABC and CBS would alternate the NBA Finals, and CBS and Turner would co-produce all games airing on CBS and TNT (similar to March Madness), using TNT's theme. In addition to NBCUniversal, this would also add Paramount Global to the NBA fold.
awfulwaffle
Registered User
IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
I'm not. Streaming is becoming more of a viable option for live sports. There's no turning back now.
awfulwaffle
Registered User
Not for the consumer if you have to pay for 4 different ones....
I'm only proposing two streaming services - Apple TV and Peacock - be part of MLB's TV partners from 2029 onward, the same two that will be streaming MLB games starting this season through 2028. All other TV partners are linear TV networks - the in-house MLB Network and at least one network owned by every media conglomerate but NBCUniversal (which has their MLB rights through Peacock).
awfulwaffle
Registered User
Remember when RSN's and Cable Companies were the bad guys and streaming was going to liberate everybody?
I have no idea what MLB is thinking, zero chance i ever sign up for apple tv to watch a couple baseball games a week. I will be pirating those games
I have no idea what MLB is thinking, zero chance i ever sign up for apple tv to watch a couple baseball games a week. I will be pirating those games
awfulwaffle
Registered User
I mean, it doesn't matter to MLB. In defense of them, they are just trying to maximise the amount of money they are getting out of their broadcast rights. But yeah, it doesn't help the consumer one bit for access to games. I'm in your boat, I'm not about to pay for apple tv just to watch a couple of games(and assuming they will try to get every team on there to try and "force" people to pay just to watch their teams).
Plain fact is that MLB has a plethora of content. With usually 12 to 15 games a day every single day of the season (because baseball has few off days), there's more than enough to go around.
