Apple requires subscription for Friday Night Baseball

Apple and Major League Baseball reached an agreement to broadcast one or two Friday night games each week during the 2022 season. Starting April 7th, these games will require a subscription to Apple TV+ in order to watch. This move signals that Apple is transitioning their foray into live sports from a way to attract new subscribers to a core part of their paid streaming subscription. The subscription costs $7 per month in the U.S and will also give access to Major League Soccer games, with a discount if one also subscribes to Apple TV+. Fans who don't want to pay for the subscription have the option of catching the games at sports bars or restaurants thanks to a new deal with DirectTV. The first doubleheader broadcast will take place on April 7th and feature the Texas Rangers at the Chicago Cubs followed by the San Diego Padres at the Atlanta Braves.