Those who remember enjoying Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+ will be glad to see it’s making a comeback. However, it comes with a twist that viewers may not like so much. Some will relish the changes, though. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) investors, however, don’t seem to care much either way, as Apple stock is only up fractionally in Wednesday afternoon’s trading.
Apple made a splash last year when it brought Friday Night Baseball to its viewers. It will likely keep many of those viewers who enjoyed having baseball available through an Apple interface. However, it’s likely to lose some of those viewers, as Friday Night Baseball will now be on the other side of a paywall. Only Apple TV+ subscribers will be able to get in on the weekly double-header games.
Though a deal with DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV) will improve that reach somewhat. Reports note that DirecTV will make Friday Night Baseball games available to a range of properties on current satellite TV systems. Bars, hotel lounges, some retail stores, and others will get Friday Night Baseball in, Apple notes. In a plan that smacks of double-dipping, meanwhile, reports suggest that Apple is already working on a complete advertising network around its baseball lineup. Further, Apple also plans to release its baseball lineup in 60 countries, up nearly five-fold from last year’s 13.
Baseball may not be a big part of Apple’s business, but analysts are still on board. Analyst consensus calls Apple stock a Moderate Buy. Further, Apple stock offers 6.11% upside potential thanks to its average price target of $170.18.
