Friday’s game on Apple TV+
The Astros’ game against the Braves on Friday in Atlanta will be their first this season that won’t be available on the conventional television platforms.
The game is an Apple TV+ exclusive, meaning a subscription to that service is required to watch after access was free last season, with just an Apple ID required to stream the games.
Astros fans hoping to watch every game this season will need to have access to AT&T SportsNet Southwest via cable, satellite or a streaming subscription for the bulk of the games as well as at least two other streaming services that have weekly MLB packages.
Answering some key questions about Astros broadcasts this season:
Why isn’t Friday’s game on TV?
This is the second season with select MLB Friday night games on Apple TV+, which has exclusive rights to stream those games, meaning they’re blacked out on regional cable networks and the MLB.TV streaming service.
How can I watch the game?
Apple TV+ offers a free seven-day trial for new subscribers, so fans could sign up for that to watch Friday’s game. However, they would need to sign up for a paid subscription ($6.99 a month) to also be able to watch next Friday’s game against the Phillies that also will be an Apple TV+ exclusive.
How many other streaming exclusive games are there?
The Apple TV+ schedule announced through June 30 has the Astros with two games (Friday and April 28) so far. Barring an unforeseen plunge into irrelevance, it’s a safe assumption that Houston will have more Apple TV+ games during the season’s second half given its status as the defending World Series champion.
The Astros also have an Aug. 20 home game against Seattle on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service that has a package of Sunday games. Last season’s Peacock games required a subscription to watch but were free for Xfinity Flex, Xfinity internet or Digital Starter TV subscribers, as those services are all owned by NBC parent company Comcast. However, Peacock no longer will be included for free with Xfinity products beginning June 26.
Will Astros games on other networks be blacked out?
The Astros have two games (May 1 and June 1) that will air on FS1, but those games usually are not exclusives and air nationally in addition to games on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. The Astros’ six scheduled games on Fox are free network TV exclusives, with the regional broadcasts not airing. Any remaining Sunday night games on ESPN will be announced at a later date.