Sportsnet and Apple TV reach deal to simulcast Friday’s Jays-Royals game
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Winnipeg Free Press subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $4.99 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
TORONTO – Baseball fans will now be able to watch the Toronto Blue Jays game on Friday night on the team’s regular broadcast home in Canada.
Sportsnet, the club’s Canadian rights-holder, said Thursday it had struck a deal with Apple TV to simulcast the road game against the Kansas City Royals on Rogers airwaves.
The game was originally set to air exclusively on Apple TV+, which would have left non-subscribers without a viewing option. At the time of the agreement, the Blue Jays were in position to potentially clinch a playoff spot in the series opener.
However, Toronto dropped a 4-0 decision to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1. Toronto’s magic number to clinch a post-season berth remained at three, leaving Saturday as the team’s earliest possible clinch date.
“This is a really exciting time of year for Blue Jays fans, and we wanted to try and find a way for Canadians to watch Friday’s game on Sportsnet, especially at this pivotal moment of the season,” a Rogers spokesperson said in an email. “In working with the Blue Jays, Major League Baseball and Apple TV, glad we found a way.”
Sportsnet and the Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications.
Almost all Blue Jays games air on the national sports network. A handful of Toronto games throughout the 162-game season air on Apple TV+ as part of the streamer’s partnership with MLB.
In a post on its website, Sportsnet said it will carry the Apple TV+ production of the game broadcast. The network added it would produce its regular pre-game show and post-game coverage.
Sportsnet said it recently approached MLB to engage the streamer on a potential deal.
In its website post, Sportsnet said that MLB facilitated an agreement, which will also see Apple TV take over exclusive broadcast rights of Toronto’s home game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 26.
The regular season continues through Sept. 28.
Toronto last made the playoffs in 2023. The Blue Jays were swept in their last three post-season appearances dating back to 2020.
Toronto hasn’t won a post-season game since making a second straight American League Championship Series appearance in 2016. The Blue Jays last won the World Series in 1993.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2025.