The Blue Jays are not making it easy for their fans who are craving playoff baseball in October, losing six of their last seven.聽
And the TV schedule for an upcoming crucial game isn鈥檛 making it any easier for some fans, who don’t have Apple TV+, to watch them at home.
Toronto’s recent slump has allowed the New York Yankees to tie them for first place in the American League East standings, with four games to play.
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That means Friday鈥檚 home game against the Tampa Bay Rays will be significant in the AL East race, potentially even a division-clinching game for Toronto.
But fans who won鈥檛 be inside Rogers Centre won’t be able to watch the action on Sportsnet, the network which broadcasts all but a handful of games.聽
That鈥檚 because the game will be streamed 鈥渆xclusively on Apple TV+,鈥 a Sportsnet spokesperson told the Star.
Sportsnet originally had exclusive broadcast rights for Friday. But the network gave up those rights to Apple in a deal last week that allowed Sportsnet to simulcast the streaming giant’s broadcast of the Sept. 19 game.聽
Apple+ TV had exclusive broadcast rights to the Sept. 19 game but was approached by MLB and Sportsnet to reach a deal that allowed a simulcast to a wider audience when it appeared that it could have been a playoff clincher.聽
This is all part of the streaming service鈥檚聽聽to carry some regular season games. Apple+ was streaming five Blue Jays games this year, but will now air six after last week’s deal.
It also means Jays fans won鈥檛 hear the familiar voices of Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez on the call for a game that could give 海角社区官网a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Fans who don鈥檛 have Apple TV+ can聽.
Gilbert Ngabo is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star.
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