Apple TV subscribers will keep watching Friday Night Baseball for three more seasons. Major League Baseball said the partnership continues through 2028, which ends weeks of confusion about Apple dropping or expanding its coverage. The update arrives as MLB finalizes new media deals with Netflix, ESPN, and NBCUniversal.
Earlier this year, reports from Kendall Baker at Yahoo Sports suggested Apple planned to end its relationship with MLB. Those reports also claimed the Friday night slot would move to NBC or Peacock while Netflix expanded its baseball presence. Today’s confirmation from MLB shows that none of that happened.
What stays and what changes
MLB said Apple TV will continue to stream Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders during the regular season. This keeps the seven-year deal from 2022 on track, giving Apple rights through 2028. The 2026 season starts on March 25, with Apple’s first games set for March 27.
While Apple’s role stays the same, the rest of the league saw major shifts. NBC takes over Sunday Night Baseball, Sunday Leadoff, and the Wild Card Series. Netflix gains the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, Opening Night, and special events including the 2026 Field of Dreams Game and the World Baseball Classic in Japan. ESPN gets a midweek national game package and will sell MLB.TV, the league’s out-of-market streaming service.
Apple’s sports plans
This update also puts Apple out of the running for any larger MLB package until at least 2029. Earlier reports placed Apple among the contenders for broader rights, but the new agreements close that window for now. Even so, Apple continues to grow its sports presence. It recently secured US streaming rights for F1 and updated its agreement with MLS to make games free for Apple TV subscribers.
Apple’s baseball coverage remains stable. The rest of MLB’s media landscape changes around it. Let us know in the comments what you think of these moves.
