Apple TV on Monday announced its slate of ‘Friday Night Baseball’ games through the end of June, which includes three Dodgers games.
First up on Apple TV+ for the Dodgers is April 4 at the Phillies, with a 3:45 p.m. PT start for their first road game on the domestic portion of the schedule. The other two Dodgers games on Apple TV+ are May 23 at the Mets and May 30 against the Yankees at Dodger Stadium.
Game assignments have not yet been revealed, but there are two announcing crews on Apple TV+. Wayne Randazzo on on play-by-play alongside Dontrelle Willis plus reporter Heidi Watney in one crew. Alex Faust calls games with Ryan Spillborghs and reporter Tricia Whitaker on the other team.
This is the fourth season of a seven-year contract between MLB and Apple TV+, in which the network pays the league an average of $85 million per season to televise two Friday games per week
Apple TV+ broadcasts are exclusive to the network, with very few exceptions, and require a paid subscription to watch. MLB and Apple have run specials in each of the last two years with a two-month free trial. It’s unknown if that will continue this season.
Last year was a rare exception of a non-exclusive Apple TV+ broadcast, when the Dodgers played the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York on June 7. That game was shown on Apple TV+ as well as on both teams’ local broadcasts, including SportsNet LA in Los Angeles.
Both the Mets and Yankees series in late May have a similar broadcast schedule to last year’s Dodgers-Yankees tilt at Yankee Stadium, in that all three weekend games are on national TV — Applt TV+ on Friday, Fox on Saturday, ESPN on Sunday night. It’s unknown of SportsNet LA will work out a deal to also televise one of those games locally, as they did for last June 7.
Speaking of Dodgers-Yankees, the long-awaited World Series documentary will be on Apple TV+. It’s a three-part documentary entitled “Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series,” will air later in March, with further details to be announced.
The Dodgers had four games on Apple TV+ in 2024, matching their total for each of the 2023 and 2022 seasons as well.