Apple TV+ adds Dodgers-Cardinals game to ‘Friday Night Baseball’ slate

Apple TV+ on Wednesday announced its ‘Friday Night Baseball’ broadcast schedule for the first half of the 2023 season, which includes the Dodgers’ April 28 game at home against the Cardinals.

Two Friday night games per week will air exclusively on Apple TV+, a pay streaming service. This is the second year of Apple TV+ broadcasts, which began in 2022 on a seven-year contract valued at $85 million annually, per Forbes.

MLB games on Apple TV+ this year are behind the paywall, after being free to watch (with an email address) last year.

These Friday Apple TV+ games — like Fox on Saturday, Peacock on Sunday mornings, and ESPN Sunday nights — are exclusive, meaning no local broadcast on SportsNet LA.

New Dodgers announcer Stephen Nelson, who was hired on January 20 to call over 50 games this year on SportsNet LA while filling in for Joe Davis, called games on Apple TV+ in its inaugural season of 2022. He won’t call Apple TV+ games this year, but Dodgers analyst Dontrelle Willis will, added to the streaming service team this season.

Wayne Randazzo and Alex Faust will call play-by-play for Apple TV+ games. Ryan Spliborghs and Willis will serve as game analysts. Heidi Watney and Tricia Whitaker will be sideline reporters for the network. Apple TV+ will carry two games each Friday during the season.

The Dodgers had four games on Apple TV+ last year, including on September 23 when Albert Pujols hit his 699th and 700th career home runs in a Cardinals rout at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles split its four games on the streaming service, beating the Reds in April and the Giants in September, while losing to the Guardians in June.