Opening day for Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ is April 7

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Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+
"Friday Night Baseball" returns for a second season in early March.
Photo: Apple TV+

Friday Night Baseball heads back to the Apple TV+ ballpark on April 7. This is the second season for the series that features weekly doubleheaders of marquee MLB games.

When the sports show launched in 2022, it was free. But that was last year — the 2023 season is only for subscribers to Apple’s streaming service.

🎼 Take me out to the ball game 🎵

Watching baseball on a Friday night is a great way to end the work week. That’s where Friday Night Baseball comes in. It offers two games a week.

The 2023 opening day lineup includes the Texas Rangers at the Chicago Cubs in a 2pm ET day game. This will be followed by the San Diego Padres at the Atlanta Braves at 7pm ET.

There are no local broadcast restrictions. Atlanta residents can be assured they’ll be able to watch the upcoming Braves game, for example.

Friday Night Baseball schedule on Apple TV+

The season includes 25 weeks of MLB games. Apple announced the lineup for the first half of the season:

Friday, April 7
Texas Rangers at Chicago Cubs
2 p.m. ET

San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Friday, April 14
San Francisco Giants at Detroit Tigers
6:30 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Angels at Boston Red Sox
7 p.m. ET

Friday, April 21
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET

Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Friday, April 28
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros
8 p.m. ET

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers
10 p.m. ET

Friday, May 5
Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati Reds
6:30 p.m. ET

Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians
7 p.m. ET

Friday, May 12
Kansas City Royals at Milwaukee Brewers
8 p.m. ET

Chicago Cubs at Minnesota Twins
8 p.m. ET

Friday, May 19
Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays
7 p.m. ET

Seattle Mariners at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Friday, May 26
San Diego Padres at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers
6:30 p.m. ET

Friday, June 2
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
5 p.m. ET

Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins
8 p.m. ET

Friday, June 9
Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles
7 p.m. ET

Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels
9:30 p.m. ET

Friday, June 16
Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers
8 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners
10 p.m. ET

Friday, June 23
Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins
6:30 p.m. ET

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
7 p.m. ET

Friday, June 30
Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates
7 p.m. ET

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels
9:30 p.m. ET

Not only baseball games

MLB Opening Day is March 30, and starting on that date Apple TV+ subscribers can tune the MLB Big Inning whip-around show featuring live look-ins and in-game highlights every weeknight. April will bring a slate of MLB-related content every day, including Countdown to First Pitch, MLB Daily Recap, and MLB This Week on Apple TV+.

Baseball fans can also access additional MLB programming for free in the Apple TV app, including Friday Night Baseball condensed game recaps after the completion of the live broadcasts, classic games, highlights and interviews, and more.

And the Friday Night Baseball announcers are…

This season, Friday Night Baseball will include Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter). Game assignments for announcers will be shared on a weekly basis.

Live pre- and postgame coverage will again be hosted by Lauren Gardner, along with Siera Santos. Former MLB players Xavier Scruggs and Matt Joyce will serve as analysts alongside baseball journalist Russell Dorsey.

Brian Gorman and Dale Scott — both former MLB umpires — will join to break down MLB’s new rules for the season.

Grab your bat and ball

Apple made no mention of making any Friday Night Baseball games available for free. So fans need to know that Apple TV+ is available for a $6.99-per-month subscription. There is a seven-day free trial available, though.

And this isn’t the only sports available through the streamer. Apple TV+ is also the home of Major League Soccer. That requires an additional MLS Season Pass, though.

Source: Apple TV+

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