Friday night in America used to be about whatever local broadcast you could find on your cable box. Those days are basically gone. Now, if you want to see the biggest stars in the league under the bright lights, you're looking at your remote and wondering where the Apple TV app went. The apple tv baseball schedule 2025 has officially landed, and honestly, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster for die-hard fans and casual viewers alike.
You’ve got Shohei Ohtani hitting 500-foot bombs in high-definition 4K, but you’ve also got the reality of a $12.99 monthly bill. It’s a trade-off. Some people love the sleek, minimalist graphics and that "silent" crowd noise feature. Others just want to know why they can't watch their home team on a Friday night without a new login.
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The 2025 Friday Night Baseball Slate: What’s on the Calendar?
Apple and MLB didn't hold back for the 2025 campaign. They kicked things off on March 28 with a heavy-hitter doubleheader: the Baltimore Orioles taking on the Toronto Blue Jays, followed by the New York Mets visiting the Houston Astros. If you were looking for a soft opening, this wasn't it.
The schedule is designed around these "marquee" matchups. You aren't going to see many bottom-dwellers here. In fact, teams like the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics (playing their interim stint) were almost entirely shut out of the first half of the year. Apple wants eyeballs, and eyeballs follow the Dodgers, the Yankees, and the Padres.
Key Matchups You Probably Missed (or Need to Replay)
The first half of the year was stacked. On May 30, we saw a massive World Series rematch with the New York Yankees heading to Dodger Stadium. That game alone felt like a postseason preview. Earlier in May, the "Battle of Texas" between the Astros and the Rangers on May 16 reminded everyone why that rivalry is getting heated again.
The San Diego Padres actually ended up being the "darlings" of the Apple TV booth this year. They were featured more than almost any other team in the early schedule, appearing four times before the All-Star break. It makes sense. They play a flashy brand of ball that looks incredible with Apple's high-frame-rate cameras.
How the Pricing Actually Works Now
Let’s talk money. Because it changed. For a while, these games were free if you just had an Apple ID. Then they moved behind the paywall. For the 2025 season, the price for Apple TV+ sits at $12.99 per month.
Is it worth it? That depends on how much you value "Big Inning"—that whip-around show that’s basically NFL RedZone but for baseball. If you’re a Red Sox fan living in Boston, you might be annoyed that your team is "exclusive" to Apple a few times a year, meaning your local NESN broadcast is blacked out. But for the out-of-market fan, it’s a godsend. No local blackouts on these specific Friday games. None.
The Technical Edge (and the Catch)
The production value is, frankly, ridiculous. Apple uses "megalodon" cameras that make the pitcher look like he’s standing in your living room. The probability stats—like the chance of a runner stealing second or the hit probability of a 2-2 count—are powered by AWS and integrated right into the corner of the screen.
But there's a catch. The broadcast team. Wayne Randazzo and Dontrelle Willis have their fans, but some purists find the "national" style of commentary a bit detached compared to the local guys who know the backup catcher’s middle name. It’s a different vibe. It's "prestige" TV for a sport that usually feels like old-school radio.
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Apple TV Baseball Schedule 2025: Second Half Highlights
As we pushed into the dog days of summer, the schedule leaned heavily into the playoff races. July 4th was a standout, featuring a daytime game at Wrigley Field between the Cardinals and the Cubs. Seeing the ivy in 4K at 2:20 p.m. ET was a nice break from the usual night-game routine.
August and September were all about the AL East and the NL West. The September 12 matchup between the Yankees and Red Sox at Fenway Park was one of the most-streamed games in the platform's history.
- August 8: Astros at Yankees — A classic "villain" matchup.
- August 29: Braves at Phillies — Massive implications for the NL East crown.
- September 19: Giants at Dodgers — The final Friday night showdown for these rivals.
The season wrapped up on September 26 with a doubleheader that helped settle the Wild Card mess in the American League. It’s clear Apple is picking these games based on "drama potential" rather than just rotating through all 30 teams.
The "Apple Effect" on Local Fans
The biggest complaint remains the "fragmentation." If you're a fan in 2025, you might need a cable sub for most games, a different app for Sunday mornings (Roku/MLB), and Apple TV+ for Fridays. It’s a lot to manage.
However, Apple has started to play nice with some local carriers. In Canada, for example, they reached a deal to simulcast some Blue Jays games on Sportsnet so local fans wouldn't feel left out. We haven't seen that happen much in the U.S. yet, but the pressure is building.
What to Do Before the Next Game
If you're planning to catch the remaining replays or gear up for next season, don't just wait for the notification. The apple tv baseball schedule 2025 is built into the "Sports" app on iPhone, which is actually a better way to track it than the TV app itself. You can follow your specific team, and it’ll "Live Activity" the score onto your lock screen.
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- Check your subscription status: If you bought a new iPhone or Mac recently, you might have three months of Apple TV+ sitting there for free. Don't pay the $12.99 if you don't have to.
- Use the "Multiview": If you're watching on an Apple TV 4K box, you can watch up to four games at once (including the Friday Night Baseball games and other sports).
- Adjust the audio: You can actually switch the audio track to your team's local radio broadcast while keeping the Apple video. This is the "pro move" for fans who hate the national announcers.
The era of "one channel for all games" is dead. But if we have to live in a streaming world, at least the games look this good.
To get the most out of your viewing, open the Apple TV app and search for "Friday Night Baseball" to add your favorite team to "My Sports." This ensures you get a push notification 15 minutes before first pitch so you never miss a blackout-free game.