Apple TV+ presently provides baseball enthusiasts with Friday night matches, but it seems that Apple might soon enhance its MLB offerings for subscribers.
### The Athletic reports MLB rights are down to either Apple or Peacock
Andrew Marchand writes in *The Athletic*:
> Apple and NBC/Peacock seem to be the final candidates for the “Sunday Night Baseball” package and, likely, [first-round] playoff games. Apple already invests $85 million each year for exclusive Friday doubleheaders. There’s a chance MLB could divide Sunday night and the playoffs.
We informed you last month that Apple had officially put forth a bid for MLB Sunday Night Baseball rights.
At that time, however, it wasn’t clear how probable it was for the company to acquire the rights—which were previously held by ESPN.
But today’s report from *The Athletic* suggests Apple TV+ now faces only one major rival: Peacock.
Peacock has consistently aimed to position itself as a hub for sports fans, with streaming options like the NFL and the Olympics.
On the other hand, Apple has been more discerning with its sports content. It has a significant agreement with Major League Soccer, along with the existing Friday Night Baseball offerings. The company is also widely anticipated to secure the rights to broadcast Formula One races.
Incorporating Sunday Night Baseball and first-round playoff games into its lineup would be logical, since Apple TV+ has already established the infrastructure to stream MLB.
If Apple does secure additional MLB games, it remains uncertain whether those will be included in the existing Apple TV+ subscription, or if Apple might opt to create a separate sports add-on instead.
Do you tune in for Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+? What are your thoughts on Apple potentially acquiring more MLB games? Share with us in the comments.
Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 a month and features popular TV series and films like *Ted Lasso*, *Severance*, *The Morning Show*, *Silo*, and *Shrinking*.
