Yahoo Sports and Apple TV are joining forces. The companies will roll out alternate broadcasts for select Friday Night Baseball and MLS games this season.
What We Know: Yahoo Sports talent will host every altcast, streaming free on the Yahoo Sports website and app. Baseball Bar-B-Cast hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman will host a pregame show and call the first two innings of games on September 4 and September 18. Meanwhile, The Cooligans’ Alexis Guerreros and Christian Polanco will cover full MLS matches on September 16 and October 28. Additionally, MLS altcasts will use extra camera angles, including a referee cam and an iPhone-shot feed. Each stream links directly to the Apple TV app, where fans can subscribe for full-game access.
What They Said: Jarrod Schwarz, General Manager, Yahoo Sports: “We’re thrilled to pair our expert voices with Apple TV’s live coverage to give fans on Yahoo a fun new way to watch ‘Friday Night Baseball’ and MLS action. These broadcasts will feature the insight, personality, and chemistry that make Baseball Bar-B-Cast and The Cooligans so popular, and we can’t wait to see that energy show up during some of the season’s biggest games.”
What Remains Unclear: Yahoo hasn’t said whether the altcast slate will expand past these four games. Pricing details beyond the required Apple TV subscription also remain unaddressed.
What It Means: This deal leans on built-in fandom for Baseball Bar-B-Cast and The Cooligans to draw live viewers toward Apple TV. Consequently, Yahoo Sports gains a live-programming presence without holding broadcast rights itself. For Apple TV, the arrangement functions as a subscriber funnel, using trusted Yahoo voices to steer fans toward its app.
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