Phillies fans looking for Friday night’s game against the Dodgers will not find it on NBC Sports Philadelphia or any other network TV channel. The 10:15 p.m. matchup will stream exclusively on Apple TV+ as part of Friday Night Baseball.
That makes Scott Franzke a key search term for viewers and listeners alike, because the longtime Phillies radio voice will still be on the call with Kevin Stocker on 94.1 WIP. The Apple TV broadcast will feature Wayne Randazzo, Dontrelle Willis and Heidi Watney.
For fans who want to watch live, Apple TV+ is the only place to see the game. The Phillies are currently scheduled to play their final game on Apple TV on Friday night, and they will be back on NBC Sports Philadelphia late Saturday night.
The setup comes during a stretch in which the Phillies have looked far better than they did in April. After a 9-19 start and Rob Thomson’s firing, Don Mattingly has guided them to a 20-8 record, with the club winning all but two series under the new manager.
Franzke said that change has not altered the feel around the team as much as the standings have. “For us, it’s business as usual,” he said. “There might be a few extra people listening or consuming the game that way, but for us it doesn’t really change a whole lot.” He added, “I don’t think the vibe has changed much,” and said, “This is about players playing better,” a reminder that the broadcast wrinkle is separate from the Phillies’ turnaround on the field.
Apple TV’s MLB package is in its fifth season of a seven-year, $595 million rights deal that runs through the 2028 season. Friday’s game is part of that platform’s doubleheader, and the question for Phillies fans is less about the matchup than the access: watch through Apple TV+, or listen on WIP and wait until Saturday night for the local TV return.
