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Apple did not abandon Friday Night Baseball. A report published on August 19, 2025 said Apple had stepped away from additional MLB rights and might end its existing Friday package after the season. Apple and MLB later confirmed that Friday Night Baseball returned for a fifth season on Apple TV on March 27, 2026.
What the August 2025 report claimed
The report from 9to5Mac, citing information attributed to Yahoo Sports reporter Kendall Baker, said Apple was no longer pursuing expanded MLB coverage. That prospective package reportedly included additional Sunday games and postseason inventory.
The report also suggested that Apple could leave its existing relationship with MLB, potentially ending Friday Night Baseball after the 2025 season. However, it was an unconfirmed report—not an announcement from Apple or MLB—and it combined two separate questions:
- Whether Apple would obtain additional MLB rights.
- Whether Apple would retain its existing weekly Friday doubleheader.
The first question may have had a negative answer. The second did not.
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Friday Night Baseball continued in 2026
Apple’s official record subsequently contradicted the prediction that the Friday package would end. On March 11, 2026, Apple announced that Friday Night Baseball would return for its fifth season, beginning March 27 with Angels at Astros and Guardians at Mariners.
Apple described the package as a weekly MLB doubleheader available to subscribers across 60 countries and regions. Apple also continued publishing Friday Night Baseball schedules for July and August 2026, confirming that the service was still operating during the regular season.
In other words, the “Apple strikes out of baseball” framing was too broad. Apple may not have secured the additional rights discussed in 2025, but it did not give up Friday Night Baseball.
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What Apple’s MLB deal includes
Apple and MLB originally announced Friday Night Baseball on March 8, 2022. The deal introduced a weekly doubleheader with live pregame and postgame coverage. It was initially exclusive to Apple TV+ in eight countries.
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By 2025, Apple described the package as two marquee games each Friday over a 25-week regular-season schedule, available in 60 countries and regions. Apple also advertised enhanced production and commentary and said the games had no local broadcast restrictions under the terms described in its announcement.
The 2026 announcement uses the name Apple TV, while earlier announcements used Apple TV+. The change in branding should not be read as evidence that the MLB package itself changed; the Friday Night Baseball offering continued.
What changed—and what did not
| Issue | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|
| Expanded MLB rights | Apple was reportedly considered for additional coverage but apparently did not obtain that larger package. |
| Friday Night Baseball | The existing weekly doubleheader returned for the 2026 season. |
| Other MLB packages | MLB rights were being reshuffled among outlets including NBC/Peacock, ESPN and Netflix, but those developments did not replace Apple’s Friday package. |
| Reported contract details | 9to5Mac described a reported seven-year agreement worth approximately $85 million annually and discussed a possible exit option. Those figures were reported, not officially disclosed by Apple as contract terms. |
It would therefore be inaccurate to say that Apple lost all MLB rights, that Friday Night Baseball ended in 2025, or that NBC/Peacock replaced Apple for those Friday games.
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- March 8, 2022: Apple and MLB announce Friday Night Baseball.
- March 3, 2025: Apple announces the package’s return for the 2025 season, beginning March 28.
- June and July 2025: Apple and MLB continue releasing 2025 Friday Night Baseball schedules.
- August 19, 2025: 9to5Mac reports that Apple may leave MLB coverage and that Friday Night Baseball could end.
- March 11, 2026: Apple announces the fifth season of Friday Night Baseball.
- June and July 2026: Apple publishes additional 2026 schedules, confirming the package is continuing.
What viewers should know
Apple TV is the home of Friday Night Baseball
Viewers looking specifically for Apple’s Friday doubleheaders need an Apple TV subscription in a supported country or region. Apple states that availability reaches 60 countries and regions, not every market worldwide. Local rights and game availability can vary by geography.
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MLB.TV is not automatically a substitute
MLB.TV is designed primarily for broader out-of-market regular-season access. It should not be assumed to include every nationally exclusive game, nor does it reproduce Apple’s Friday Night Baseball production. Check the applicable local and national restrictions before subscribing.
Other services cover different rights packages
Peacock may be relevant for games assigned to NBC/Peacock, while ESPN carries its own MLB programming. Neither service is a direct replacement for Apple’s Friday doubleheaders.
Apple listed Apple TV+ at $9.99 per month in a June 2025 announcement, but that is a historical price reference and should not be treated as the verified price in August 2026. Check Apple’s current service page for up-to-date pricing.
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The accurate conclusion
The August 2025 report was a legitimate news story about Apple’s apparent failure to secure expanded MLB rights, but its broader prediction did not hold. Apple and MLB brought Friday Night Baseball back for 2026, and Apple continued releasing schedules during the season. Apple’s MLB strategy appears to have remained selective rather than representing a complete withdrawal from baseball.
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