This is.... interesting?https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/03/apple-and-major-league-baseball-to-offer-friday-night-baseball/
Also looks like it comes with an entire "live" linear TV stream, a la the MLB Network.
Feels like this would cannibalize the MLB's O&O offer but no doubt they've thought about it.
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 09:29 (two years ago) link
Ahh this Variety article spells it out. It's about reach, and reaching younger viewers who don't have cable packages (much less subscribe to MLB.tv)
“We have a next generation of fans that may be ‘cord-nevers,’ and you’ve got people that are no longer inside the bundle,” says Noah Garden, MLB’s chief revenue officer, in an interview, referring to the cable and satellite operators who have for years delivered many live sports broadcasts. “The most important thing for us right now is reach.”
https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/apple-major-league-baseball-rights-deal-1235198815/
Not sure if these games will be blacked out on MLB.tv......
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 10:22 (two years ago) link
these games will be exclusive to apple+, i.e. not on mlb.tv *or* local broadcasts
this might not be the only such deal, either -- i don't think mlb really wanted this to come out during cba negotiations, but apple announced it themselves
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 19:21 (two years ago) link
if you really want reach to young people you gotta put it on twitch like thursday night football is
― ciderpress, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 19:27 (two years ago) link
the youtube deal is like that too, the games are blacked out on mlb.tv
― ✖, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 19:37 (two years ago) link