Major League Baseball is back on Apple TV+ and fans from Walla Walla, Washington to Kalamazoo are asking one simple question: Why?
Why is MLB putting select Friday night games behind an online paywall, inconveniencing their fans and forcing them to pay again for a product they're already paying for on their TV bill?
Baseball will tell you it's about reaching younger fans glued to their devices, and that's true. In short: it is another source of income. Apple is in the third year of a reported seven-year, $85 million deal with MLB, which may like the stability as it watches regional sports networks adapt to a changing media landscape.
All of this is to remind you that you'll need Apple TV+ to watch the Cubs and White Sox for two of the next three weeks. The Cubs visit the Mariners on Friday and the Sox host the Rays on April 26th. Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month, but you get a seven-day free trial. To promote the baseball package, Apple TV+ is also offering a deal with two free months.
Free is good. MLB on Apple TV+ was free at the start of the deal, but that inevitably ended. The question is whether it's worth paying $9.99 a month for a handful of Cubs and Sox games on top of your TV provider's regional sports fee. For Comcast customers, that's $19.20 per month for a lot more games.
Admittedly, Apple TV+ gives you a lot more than just baseball for that $10, although its programming library pales in comparison to that of Netflix and Prime Video. But this is a sports media column. Is a subscription to Apple TV+'s sports menu worth it? Which streaming services offer the most interesting live sports in our region at the best price?
As we usually do, we ranked the five best streaming sports add-ons based on these criteria (live TV services like Hulu and YouTube are not included):
1. ESPN+
Cost: $10.99 per month.
Highlights: Tons of exclusive content including in- and out-of-market NHL games, access to UFC pay-per-views, college sports, international soccer, golf and an NFL game.
Skinny: The Blackhawks appear exclusively on ESPN+ several times per season, and getting more than 1,000 off-market NHL games is a nice perk for hockey fans. ESPN+ is a must-watch for UFC fans and college basketball junkies. It contains many Loyola and UIC games. ESPN+ is also home to PGA Tour Live, where viewers can choose how they want to watch events. It's a little pricey, but you get a lot.
2. Peacock
Cost: $5.99 per month.
Highlights: Exclusive offerings include Big Ten basketball and football, Premier League soccer, WWE, golf, auto racing, horse racing, and a Notre Dame and NFL game.
Skinny: Peacock is a must-watch in Big Ten country. As part of NBC's deal with the conference, the network can broadcast basketball and football games exclusively on Peacock, and not just the bad ones. Peacock will also broadcast every Premier League game and WWE Premium Live event and will broadcast the Packers-Eagles game on September 6 in Brazil. MLB games will no longer be broadcast on Sunday mornings.
3. Prime Video
Cost: $8.99 per month; $14.99 per month with Amazon Prime.
Highlights: Prime is home to the NFL's “Thursday Night Football,” but it's not necessary to watch the Bears, whose “TNF” games air on local television. Prime will exclusively air a wild card playoff game next season. The company also extended its contract as the WNBA's national streamer, granting it 21 exclusive games.
Skinny: Prime could help Peacock gain local relevance if it gets a package of NBA games in the league's next rights deal, which begins in 2025. That could remove some Bulls games from the local RSN, be it NBC Sports Chicago or the next edition. As it stands, Prime Video is a wonderful benefit of an Amazon Prime membership, but not yet a necessity for sports fans here.
4. Paramount+
Cost: $5.99 per month.
Highlights: Football and lots of it. CBS' Paramount+ is the only place in the country to stream UEFA games, including the Champions League. In addition, only CONCACAF games and international leagues are broadcast, including the Italian Serie A league
Skinny: Paramount has been in the news a lot lately for its efforts to merge with Skydance Media. It's too early to tell how that would affect its sports properties, but there isn't much local appeal here anyway – although it's frustrating with CBS putting US soccer games behind Paramount's paywall.
5. Apple TV+
Cost: $9.99 per month.
Highlights: Apple airs two exclusive MLB games on Friday nights and broadcasts every MLS game through the postseason.
Skinny: The MLS Season Pass does not include an Apple TV+ subscription like NHL Power Play does with ESPN+. The MLS Season Pass costs an additional $12.99 per month for Apple TV+ subscribers and $14.99 per month for non-subscribers. It's a must for Fire fans. Cubs and Sox fans can listen to the radio.
Long distance patrol
Score Afternoon co-host Danny Parkins' first book, “Pipeline to the Pros,” is out Tuesday. It examines the trend of NBA coaches and executives coming from small colleges and the profound impact they have had on basketball and the league.
• First-time author Ken Smoller's book “Last Comiskey,” an adaptation of Matt Flesch's 2023 documentary, will be released in May. It serves as a companion piece, combining Smoller's photographs from the 1990 White Sox season, content from the film, and new material.
• Play-by-play voice Wayne Randazzo, analyst Dontrelle Willis and reporter Heidi Watney will host Friday night's Cubs-Mariners game on Apple TV+.
• ESPN has selected Sunday's Bulls-Knicks game for its final doubleheader of the regular season, but it will still be shown on NBC Sports Chicago.
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