TV Answer Man, Juan Soto is coming back to DC on Friday night, but it won’t be on MASN which makes me mad! Do you know how we can watch the game? — Sandy, Arlington, Virginia.
Sandy, Apple TV+ is offering an exclusive weekly Friday night doubleheader of Major League Baseball games this season. The games will not be broadcast anywhere else, including MLB.TV, MLB Extra Innings or the teams’ regional sports channels such as MASN, the regional TV home of the Washington Nationals, or Bally Sports San Diego, the regional TV home of the San Diego Padres.
This could get some people mad tonight because Apple’s doubleheader tonight (August 12) is the New York Mets-Philadelphia Phillies game at 7 p.m. ET and San Diego Padres-Washington Nationals game, also at 7 p.m. ET.
The Padres-Nats game will mark the return of Juan Soto to Nationals Park for the first time since the DC team traded Soto and Josh Bell 10 days ago to San Diego for a slew of prospects. Washington area viewers in particular will want to see how the crowd reacts to one of the heroes of Washington’s 2019 World Series team.
The good news is that Apple TV+ will provide both the Nats-Padres game and the Mets-Phillies game for free and it’s relatively easy to watch them.
The first thing is to get an Apple ID. If you already own an Apple device, such as an iPad or iPhone, you probably have one. But if you don’t, you go to the Apple TV+ web site and click the Sign In button in the right hand corner of the Home Page. A screen will display with instructions on how to sign up. Click the ‘Create New Apple TV ID’ link.
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Then, about 30 minutes before the game begins, open the Apple TV+ app or go to its web site. You’ll see the game listed in a thumbnail on the Home Page. Click on the thumbnail and start watching. It’s that easy. Pre-game shows usually begin about 30 minutes before first pitch.
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However, there are a few other things you need to know.
* Apple TV+ is not available on Android phones or tablets. If you own one of those, you will need to watch the games on the web site.
* If you subscribe to MLB.TV, you can watch the game by clicking on the Apple TV+ icon in the app. That will take you directly to the Apple TV+ app. (Unless you’re using an Android phone or tablet.)
* The games are not only free, you don’t have to input any financial information to watch, such as a credit card number.
* The games are streamed in 1080p, not 4K, as some have suggested. But the picture is still quite remarkable for HD.
For more information on which devices are compatible with Apple TV+, click here.
Sandy, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman