Apple Is Bringing Live Immersive MLB Games to Vision Pro

The opening game brings one of baseball’s biggest rivalries to the format, with the Boston Red Sox visiting the New York Yankees at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The Apple Immersive schedule

The games run from August 28 through September 18.

• August 28 — Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, 7 p.m. ET
• September 4 — Los Angeles Angels at Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:30 p.m. ET
• September 11 — San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants, 10 p.m. ET
• September 18 — San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10 p.m. ET

Spatial Insider will update this guide if the schedule changes.

How the game will look and sound

Apple says each game will be captured in 3D at 8K with a 180-degree view. Instead of watching the field inside a flat frame, fans will be able to look around and take in the scale of the stadium.

Microphones placed around the ballpark will power Spatial Audio, so the crowd and field sounds come from where they happen. Lineups and live stats will appear in the viewer’s space without covering the action.

During breaks in the game, the broadcast will stay inside the stadium and move between multiple angles of the ballpark. That should make the breaks feel like part of the experience instead of sending viewers back to a regular TV feed.

A broadcast made just for Vision Pro

Friday Night Baseball in Apple Immersive will have its own commentary team, replays, graphics, and stadium views rather than reusing the regular Apple TV broadcast.

• Paul Severino — play-by-play
• Xavier Scruggs — analyst
• Michelle Margaux — sideline reporter

That dedicated production matters because every part of the game can be framed for an experience that surrounds the viewer.

Who can watch

Vision Pro owners with an M2 or M5 model and an Apple TV subscription can stream the games live in Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The live broadcasts will play directly in the Apple TV app on Vision Pro.

Apple says full-game replays and a highlights package will also be available on demand in the Apple TV app for Vision Pro. That gives viewers another path into the immersive production when the live start time does not work.

Live immersive sports are expanding

Friday Night Baseball follows Spectrum Front Row (opens in a new tab), a run of six live NBA games featuring the Los Angeles Lakers that began in January. Those broadcasts offered seven views, including beneath each basket, at the scorer’s table, inside the player tunnel, and from a roaming courtside camera. Scores and rosters appeared in the viewer’s space, while the production stayed inside the arena during timeouts and halftime.

Candidly, it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had on Vision Pro. I shared my full reaction on YouTube (opens in a new tab) after watching the first game.

Earlier this year, I pointed out on YouTube (opens in a new tab) that Apple already had relationships with MLB and Formula 1, and I hoped both sports would come to Apple Immersive. MLB is now coming to the format. Apple is already Formula 1’s exclusive U.S. broadcast partner (opens in a new tab), but no F1 race has been announced for Apple Immersive. I still hope racing comes next.

We can’t wait to watch Red Sox vs. Yankees and see how baseball feels with the whole ballpark around us. We’ll share our hands-on thoughts on YouTube (opens in a new tab) and in the Spatial Insider newsletter (opens in a new tab) shortly after the first game.