Toronto Blue Jays fans hoping to watch the team's first game back from the All-Star break on Sportsnet are out of luck this time.
Toronto opens a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox Friday at 7:15 p.m., and the game is exclusive to Apple TV Plus.
That's not how fans are used to watching this team. Sportsnet has carried the vast majority of Toronto's schedule all season, making this Friday night carve-out a jarring change of pace.
The game falls under Apple TV Plus' Friday Night Baseball package, a weekly slate the streamer has carried since 2022.
Timing makes this sting even more. Toronto sits dead last in the American League East at 45-51, yet just 2.5 games out of a wild card spot, exactly the kind of stretch fans want easy access to.
Spencer Miles is expected to start for Toronto, carrying a 2.85 ERA into his outing as the club looks to open the second half with some momentum.
Chicago comes in at 50-45, a much stronger record than Toronto's own, adding real stakes to a game plenty of fans simply can't watch the way they normally would.
Why this exclusivity keeps frustrating fans
Watching requires an Apple TV Plus subscription, priced at $14.99 monthly in Canada, or $129 annually, though a seven-day free trial is available for anyone not already signed up.
The service works across a wide range of devices, from iPhones and Apple TVs to smart TVs, Windows PCs, Android devices and set-top boxes, so accessibility isn't the issue.
The frustration is about the principle of it, having to pay for or sign up to a separate service just to watch a game that would normally be free with cable or a Sportsnet subscription.
It's a bit like showing up to your usual seat at a regular hangout only to find out tonight requires a cover charge nobody warned you about.
Does this kind of streaming exclusivity actually grow the audience for these games, or does it just alienate fans who don't want to juggle another subscription for one night of baseball?
For fans without Apple TV Plus already, Friday night becomes a choice between signing up, using the free trial, or missing Toronto's second-half opener altogether.
Should the Blue Jays' games always be available on Sportsnet regardless of streaming exclusivity deals?
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