LIVE NOW: Watch Rays vs. Twins FREE on Apple TV+
Friday night’s opener between the Rays and Twins will air exclusively on Apple TV+. It will not be available on your local cable provider or MLB.TV.
Drew Rasmussen will take the mound for the Rays at Target Field, where he made his MLB debut for the Brewers in 2020. Devin Smeltzer will go for the Twins, trying to cement his spot in the rotation after a 1.93 ERA in five starts this season. In late April and early May, the Twins took two out of three against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
But don’t worry, the game can be watched for free here. All you need is an Apple ID. A breakdown on how to watch the game is below.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. CT.
• Also watch Mets-Angels on Apple TV+ at 9:30 ET/6:30 PT
For more information about how to access "Friday Night Baseball" on Apple TV+, visit the Apple Knowledge Base.
How to Watch:
No subscription is needed to watch "Friday Night Baseball" on Apple TV+. To access “Friday Night Baseball” games on Apple TV+, just follow these steps:
Launch the Apple TV app and select the game directly from there,
OR
From the MLB.TV app, tap on Apple TV+ Game to be redirected to the Apple TV app (where available),
OR
Visit https://tv.apple.com/ and log in with or create an Apple ID.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I need to have an Apple account to watch the free games?
Yes. You need to have an Apple ID. Your Apple ID is the account you use across all your Apple devices, including your iPhone. Learn how to create a new Apple ID here.
How do I sign in to watch the free games on Apple TV+?
Log in with your Apple ID. Learn how to watch Friday Night Baseball here.
Do I need to enter payment information to watch the free games?
No. Payment information is not required to watch.
On what devices can I watch the games?
See all the ways to watch Apple TV+ here.
“Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV+, a weekly doubleheader, debuted on April 8. It was designed as an innovative broadcast experience, featuring integrated stats and other high-tech features, while also seeking to broaden the baseball audience.
Notable Features:
Design: If you use other Apple products, many of the Apple TV+ broadcast elements -- such as the starting lineup graphics -- will look familiar and consistent. The clean and simple design aesthetic features the company’s classic “SF Pro” typeface.
Cameras: The broadcasts make use of a “Megalodon” camera, which produces extremely high-resolution shots, with a shallow depth of field. That creates a sharp focus on the subject of the shot -- a cinematic look that adds to the drama of the moment.
Integrated stats: If you’re a fan of baseball and numbers, “Friday Night Baseball” has introduced a new feature that will keep you entertained all game long. The integrated stats function -- displayed unobtrusively in the bottom right of the screen -- presents continually refreshed probability figures on a pitch-by-pitch basis. The metric in question rotates and constantly takes into account the specific game situation. For example, what is the probability of the batter producing an RBI when facing a 2-1 pitch with runners on first and second and one out?
Tune tracker: Walk-up music is a way for hitters to show their taste and connect with fans, and “Friday Night Baseball” is kicking that experience up a notch for viewers at home. When a home-team batter comes to the plate for the first time in the game, an Apple Music pop-up in the lower right will identify his walk-up song.
Fresh perspectives: The Apple TV+ broadcasts are placing an emphasis on having a new and diverse group of voices calling the games. One crew features Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Hannah Keyser (analyst) and Brooke Fletcher (reporter), along with former MLB outfielder Chris Young (analyst). The other crew consists of Stephen Nelson (play-by-play) and another former outfielder, Hunter Pence (analyst), alongside Katie Nolan (analyst) and Heidi Watney (reporter).