How to Watch Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV: Cost and Schedule
These games exist nowhere else. Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV is the only way to watch two MLB games every Friday night in 2026, and if your subscription isn't set up, you'll miss first pitch tonight. This guide covers exactly what you need: the right plan, which devices work, what it costs, and every confirmed game through June 26.
What you need right now:
- An Apple TV+ subscription and a free Apple ID
- The Apple TV app on your device, or a browser pointed at tv.apple.com
- Tonight's games: Angels at Astros, 8:15 p.m. ET; Guardians at Mariners, 9:45 p.m. ET
Apple holds exclusive streaming rights to two games every Friday across the full 25-week regular season now in its fifth consecutive year, with the deal locked in through 2028, per PCMag. No cable package, no regional sports network, no MLB.TV subscription carries these games, per CNET. The broadcast reaches fans in 60 countries and regions with no local blackout restrictions, per MLB.com.
The second-half schedule (July onward) has not yet been announced.
Step 1: What "Apple TV+" means and what you're actually signing up for
The naming situation creates genuine confusion, so clear this up before spending a dollar.
Three things share the "Apple TV" name: a physical streaming box you buy separately, an app that's free to install, and a subscription service. The one you pay for is Apple TV+, the streaming service itself. You access it through the Apple TV app, which costs nothing to download, per MLB.com.
No sports add-on required. Friday Night Baseball is included in the base Apple TV+ subscription no separate sports tier, no premium package, no extra charge, per The Streamable.
You also need an Apple ID the same free account used across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you've ever bought an app or used an Apple device, you already have one. If not, create one free at appleid.apple.com, per MLB.com.
There is no permanently free tier. Trial options exist and are worth knowing about, but once a trial ends, a paid subscription is required to watch live games.
How to watch Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV tonight
Three paths to the same game:
- Go to tv.apple.com in any browser, sign in with your Apple ID, subscribe, and select the game directly. No download required works on any computer.
- Download the Apple TV app on your device, sign in with your Apple ID, and subscribe inside the app.
- Open the MLB app, find a game labeled "Apple TV Game," and tap it the app redirects you to Apple TV+ where available, per MLB.com.
Once you're in, open the Friday Night Baseball game tile and select the game. Games stream in 1080p HD, per TV Answer Man.
Devices that support the Apple TV app
The app runs on a wide range of hardware, per The Streamable and PCMag:
- Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro
- Smart TVs: Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, and others
- Streaming devices: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV
- Gaming consoles: PlayStation, Xbox
- Android phones and tablets
- Any modern web browser at tv.apple.com
You do not need Apple hardware. Browser access is a complete fallback for any device with an internet connection.
Pricing and free-access options
| Situation | Best option | |-----------|-------------| | New to Apple TV+, want to try it first | 7-day free trial covers at least one full Friday doubleheader at no cost (Sporting News) | | Just bought a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV device | 3-month free trial included covers most of the first-half schedule (PCMag) | | Watching with family, don't want multiple plans | One subscription shared via Apple Family Sharing no separate accounts needed (PCMag) | | Already paying for Apple Music, Arcade, or iCloud+ | Apple One bundle at $19.95/month includes Apple TV+ alongside other Apple services (PCMag) | | Want just baseball, no bundle | $12.99/month standalone (U.S.) cancel anytime (MacRumors) |
Before paying for a monthly plan, check whether you have an active 3-month trial from a recent Apple device purchase. A lot of people leave that on the table, per PCMag.
Step 2: The no-blackout advantage and the one catch
The rights structure here works differently from everything else in baseball.
No blackouts, anywhere. Unlike MLB.TV, which blocks local games for in-market viewers, Apple TV+ streams Friday Night Baseball nationally without restriction. A Dodgers fan in Los Angeles watches the same feed as a fan in Boston, per PCMag.
The catch: exclusivity runs both directions. If your team is on Friday Night Baseball, that game exists only on Apple TV+ not on your RSN, not in any cable package, not as part of any in-market streaming plan. Apple TV+ is the only option, even for local fans, per CNET.
International fans are covered too. The broadcast reaches 60 countries and regions, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, and the UK all under the same subscription, per PCMag.
What's included beyond the live game: each doubleheader comes with live pregame and postgame shows. Wayne Randazzo, Dontrelle Willis, and Heidi Watney call one game; Alex Faust, Ryan Spilborghs, and Tricia Whitaker handle the other, with Rich Waltz filling in on select dates, per The Streamable. The app also carries MLB Big Inning (a nightly league-wide highlights show), Countdown to First Pitch, MLB Daily Recap, MLB This Week, and classic game replays, per iPhone in Canada.
Step 3: If you're stuck at game time
A few issues come up repeatedly when people try to get the game running. Here's what to do.
The game isn't showing in the MLB app. Look for a tile labeled "Apple TV Game" that's the correct entry point. Tapping it redirects to Apple TV+. If nothing appears, go directly to tv.apple.com instead and search for the game there.
Not sure whether you need an Apple device. You don't. The Apple TV app runs on Android phones and tablets, Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV sticks, PlayStation, Xbox, Samsung and LG smart TVs, and most modern browsers. If the app isn't available on your device, tv.apple.com works on any browser with no installation required.
Local fans wondering whether they're blacked out. No blackouts apply. A Yankees fan in New York and a Yankees fan in Phoenix see the same Apple TV+ stream local market makes no difference, per The Streamable.
Can't find the subscription option. Sign in at tv.apple.com directly and subscribe there. It's the most reliable path when the in-app flow isn't cooperating, per MLB.com.
The confirmed schedule: MLB Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV, March 27–June 26
MLB and Apple have announced 14 doubleheaders 28 games total through June 26. The second-half schedule will be released separately, per PCMag. All times are Eastern.
| Date | Game 1 | Game 2 | |------|--------|--------| | March 27 | Angels at Astros, 8:15 p.m. | Guardians at Mariners, 9:45 p.m. | | April 3 | Brewers at Royals, 7:45 p.m. | Braves at Diamondbacks, 9:45 p.m. | | April 10 | Angels at Reds, 6:45 p.m. | Giants at Orioles, 7:15 p.m. | | April 17 | Rays at Pirates, 6:45 p.m. | Tigers at Red Sox, 7:15 p.m. | | April 24 | Phillies at Braves, 7:15 p.m. | Cubs at Dodgers, 10:15 p.m. | | May 1 | Reds at Pirates, 6:45 p.m. | Royals at Mariners, 9:45 p.m. | | May 8 | Twins at Guardians, 7:15 p.m. | Cardinals at Padres, 9:45 p.m. | | May 15 | Blue Jays at Tigers, 6:45 p.m. | Yankees at Mets, 7:15 p.m. | | May 22 | Astros at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. | Tigers at Orioles, 7:15 p.m. | | May 29 | Twins at Pirates, 6:45 p.m. | Phillies at Dodgers, 10:15 p.m. | | June 5 | Guardians at Rangers, 8:15 p.m. | Royals at Twins, 8:15 p.m. | | June 12 | Diamondbacks at Reds, 7:15 p.m. | Braves at Mets, 7:15 p.m. | | June 19 | Cardinals at Royals, 8:15 p.m. | Twins at Diamondbacks, 9:45 p.m. | | June 26 | Cubs at Brewers, 7:45 p.m. | Dodgers at Padres, 9:45 p.m. |
Schedule sourced from MLB.com, PCMag, and ClutchPoints. One timing note: the May 22 Astros-Cubs game starts at 2:20 p.m. ET, well outside the typical evening window.
What to do now
Watching tonight: Go to tv.apple.com or open the Apple TV app, sign in with your Apple ID, start the 7-day free trial, and select the Angels-Astros game tile. First pitch is at 8:15 p.m. ET.
For the rest of the season:
- Verify whether you have an active 3-month trial from a recent Apple device purchase before committing to a monthly plan, per PCMag
- No RSN, cable package, or MLB.TV subscription carries these games. Apple TV+ is the only path, at $12.99/month (U.S.) after any trial, per CNET
- The second-half schedule (July onward) will be posted at MLB.com as the season progresses. Apple's deal with MLB runs through 2028, so Friday night stays on Apple TV+ for the foreseeable future, per PCMag
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