After introducing itself to MLB fans in 2022, Apple TV+ is back for more "Friday Night Baseball" in 2023.
This year's version brings change in the form of new features, voices and prices. Beginning with the first "Friday Night Baseball" game of the year on April 7, watching MLB on Apple TV+ will require a subscription. Fans were able to watch the games last year without paying for the service.
Fans gave "Friday Night Baseball" bad reviews last season, but with some planned improvements — notably in the broadcast booth — the series could be ripe for success in 2023.
Apple TV+ and MLB have released the "Friday Night Baseball" schedule through the end of July.
MORE: Watch Friday Night Baseball tonight on Apple TV+ (free trial)
Here's what you need to know about the schedule for games that will be streamed exclusively on Apple TV+:
Apple TV+ 2023 schedule
| Date | Game | First pitch (ET) |
| Friday, April 7 | Texas Rangers vs. Chicago Cubs | 2 p.m. |
| Friday, April 7 | San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, April 14 | San Francisco Giants vs. Detroit Tigers | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, April 14 | Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, April 21 | Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, April 21 | Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, April 28 | Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, April 28 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | 10 p.m. |
| Friday, May 5 | Chicago White Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, May 5 | Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, May 12 | Kansas City Royals vs. Milwaukee Brewers | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, May 12 | Chicago Cubs vs. Minnesota Twins | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, May 19 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, May 19 | Seattle Mariners vs. Atlanta Braves | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, May 26 | San Diego Padres vs. New York Yankees | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, May 26 | Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, June 2 | Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds | 5 p.m. |
| Friday, June 2 | Cleveland Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, June 9 | Kansas City Royals vs. Baltimore Orioles | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, June 9 | Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels | 9:30 p.m. |
| Friday, June 16 | Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, June 16 | Chicago White Sox vs. Seattle Mariners | 10 p.m. |
| Friday, June 23 | Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, June 23 | New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, June 30 | Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, June 30 | Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Angels | 9:30 p.m. |
| Friday, July 7 | Atlanta Braves vs. Tampa Bay Rays | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, July 7 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, July 14 | Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, July 14 | San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, July 21 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs | 2:20 p.m. |
| Friday, July 21 | San Diego Padres vs. Detroit Tigers | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, July 28 | Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, July 28 | Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 4 | Tampa Bay Rays vs. Detroit Tigers | 6:40 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 4 | Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 11 | Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 11 | Texas Rangers vs. San Francisco Giants | 10 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 18 | Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cincinnati Reds | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 18 | Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 25 | Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Boston Red Sox | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Aug. 25 | Kansas City Royals vs. Seattle Mariners | 10 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 1 | Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 1 | Seattle Mariners vs. New York Mets | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 8 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 8 | San Diego Padres vs. Houston Astros | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 15 | Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 15 | Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 22 | New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Sept. 22 | San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | 10 p.m. |
MORE: MLB blackout restrictions, explained
How much does Apple TV+ cost?
The service starts at $6.99 a month. Yearly subscriptions begin at $69. Last season, the service was free for those trying to watch "Friday Night Baseball," but that is now no longer an option. Apple does offer a seven-day free trial for new sign-ups, but you will need a subscription to watch MLB's Friday Night Baseball games beyond that.
The service is also home to the hit show "Ted Lasso," among other original series. It also operates MLS Season Pass, which allows fans to watch every MLS game without blackout restrictions, for an additional fee.
MORE: How to watch MLB games free without cable in 2023
Why are MLB games on Apple TV+?
Prior to the 2022 season, Apple and MLB announced a partnership to broadcast games on the streaming service. This is a way for the league to expand its outreach to fans and potential fans.
MLB games were televised on Prime Video, Peacock, MLB.tv and Apple; regional sports networks (RSNs); and national outlets such as ESPN, Fox and TBS. The Apple TV+ deal was part of MLB's plan to cater to cord-cutters and strive for a national broadcast that would get fans of all teams tuning in.
With Apple TV+ being available to everyone — local networks aren't always available in-market — MLB believes that the deal will help with accessibility.
MORE: MLB.tv streams, explained: How to watch out-of-market games live online
What's new to MLB on Apple TV+ in 2023?
Apple TV+ tried to recreate how baseball is broadcast in 2022. It experimented with its commentary team, turning away from the standard two-person approach. Apple incorporated a three-person booth with an eye toward a podcasting style that would fit with the overall slow pace of play.
The broadcast drew plenty of criticism, with many viewers saying that there was an awkward dynamic between the people in the booth, especially when compared to Peacock, which began its own exclusive streaming of MLB games in 2022.
In 2023, Apple will have a more traditional booth. Wayne Randazzo and Alex Faust will handle play-by-play; Dontrelle Willis and Ryan Spilborghs will be analysts; and Heidi Watney and Tricia Whitaker will be field reporters. The telecasts will also feature rules analysts — former umpires Brian Gorman and Dale Scott — who will be helpful in breaking down MLB's new rules.
Apple is also promising an immersive audio experience with player and field microphones, and it will use drones to provide alternate camera angles.
The company is planning to utilize Apple News as a way to help baseball fans find the "buzziest" stories from the week. Fans will also be able to use Apple Music to listen to a playlist of each team's walk-up songs and other baseball classics.
Viewers will be able to select which broadcast audio they'd prefer to listen to -- Apple TV+ announcers, or home/away team radio feeds.