Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball Games Are No Longer Streaming for Free

Teejay Boris, Tech Times 22 March 2023, 10:03 pm

Apple TV+'s Friday Night Baseball games are making their comeback to the streaming service this 2023. But this time, it will no longer be for free, as it now requires a subscription.

(Photo : Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Apple TV+)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 15: Theotis Beasley attends the Apple TV+ “Friday Night Baseball” Watch Party at the 2022 MLB All-Star House on July 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Apple TV+'s Friday Night Baseball Games

According to Tech Crunch, Major League Baseball (MLB) and Apple announced that the Friday Night Baseball games will be available on Apple TV+.

For this year, the baseball game streams are expanding to more countries of up to 60 territories. On the other hand, Apple TV+ only offered it to a total of 13 nations last year.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services, touts that "[there has] never been a better time to sign up." The tech exec adds that the streamer now offers "two live baseball games every Friday night," which is on top of the "award-winning" movies and shows on Apple TV+.

Free Streaming Dropped: Subscription Now Required

As per a report by The Verge, the iPhone maker previously offered the Friday Night Baseball game streams for free. Instead of asking viewers to subscribe to the streaming service, they only have to sign up for an account. It lets everyone watch the intense sports action without spending a dime last year.

However, things are about to change this 2023. Apple has dropped the free offering. It now asks viewers to pay for a subscription to its streaming service, which also houses movies and shows, besides baseball games.

Apple has yet to explain why it has decided to drop the free offering. Yet, the Verge notes in its reports that the Cupertino-based firm made it clear last year that the free streaming of Friday Night Baseball was only "for a limited time." And that temporary promo has now come to an end.

How Much is an Apple TV+ Subscription

An Apple TV+ subscription only sells for $6.99 a month, Business Insider notes.

(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Apple TV+ logo is seen on the backdrop for the red carpet arrivals of "The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey" premiere at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood, California, March 7, 2022.

The iPhone maker offers a free seven-day subscription as a trial. So if you are a new user, you can experience the streaming service for free for a week. After which, Apple will charge you a monthly fee.

Meanwhile, if you buy a brand new Apple product, including an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the tech giant provides a free three-month subscription.

If you plan to upgrade your phone or laptop, you might as well get free access to the Friday Night Baseball games. On top of that, you may also watch award-winning shows like "Ted Lasso," apart from the original movie content.