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Tonight’s Phillies game won’t be on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the final time this season, the Phillies game will stream exclusively on Apple TV+.

Like everyone else, the Phillie Phanatic will have to log into Apple TV+ to watch tonight's Phillies game.
Like everyone else, the Phillie Phanatic will have to log into Apple TV+ to watch tonight's Phillies game.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Updated 
    Published 

The Phillies kick-off a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants Friday at 10:15 p.m., but good luck finding the game on television.

Instead of airing on NBC Sports Philadelphia, the game will air exclusively on Apple TV+ as part of the tech giant’s Friday Night Baseball lineup, which features two exclusive games each week.

At this point, Phillies fans know the drill, since it’s the fourth time the team has found itself featured on Apple’s MLB broadcast. Friday’s game is free to watch, but you need to set up an Apple TV+ account and either download the app or watch on their website (The Apple TV+ app isn’t available on Android phones).

» READ MORE: While most Phillies fans were asleep, Ricky Bottalico blasted two pitchers after terrible loss

Calling the game will be Stephen Nelson, Hunter Pence, and former ESPN personality Katie Nolan, with Heidi Watney reporting from Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Thankfully for Phillies fans, it’s the final time you’ll need to log into a streaming service to watch a game. Peacock’s exclusive Sunday morning window ends Sunday, and the Phillies are not scheduled to appear again on Apple TV+ for the rest of the season.

Apple has yet to release viewership information for its Friday Night Baseball broadcasts, so it’s unclear how many fans are streaming the games. But the exclusive arrangement isn’t going anywhere, considering Apple’s seven-year deal with MLB runs through the 2028 season, according to Forbes.

As far as the playoff race is concerned, the Phillies enter Friday night just a half game ahead of the San Diego Padres and three games up on the Milwaukee Brewers in the hunt for a wild-card berth. The Phillies have 31 games remaining this season, 12 against winning teams — seven games against the Atlanta Braves, two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, and three against the Houston Astros.

As of Friday, FiveThirtyEight gives the Phillies an 87% chance to make the playoffs, which would end a 10-year drought. But history is not a friend of the Phillies — since 2018, the team’s record after Sept. 1 is 47-69.

Here is the Phillies upcoming schedule:

  1. Friday, Sept. 2: Phillies at Giants, 10:15 p.m. (Apple TV+, 94.1 WIP)

  2. Saturday, Sept. 3: Phillies at Giants, 4:05 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP)

  3. Sunday, Sept. 4: Phillies at Giants, 4:05 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP)

  4. Tuesday, Sept. 6: Marlins at Phillies, 6:45 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP)

  5. Wednesday, Sept. 7: Marlins at Phillies, 6:45 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP)

  6. Thursday, Sept. 8: Marlins at Phillies, 6:45 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP)

In other Phillies news ...

  1. With their ace and closer injured, the Phillies need pitcher Aaron Nola to prove his September haters wrong. He’s not off to a good start.

  2. Will history repeat itself with another Phillies September collapse? There are plenty of challenges ahead.

  3. What’s a reasonable expectation for Bryce Harper’s production? So far, he’s hitting the ball hard and could get back to his normal self in a week or two.

  4. The Phillies added pitcher Vinny Nittoli and catcher Donny Sands to their September roster. They’ll both join the team Friday in San Francisco.

  5. The Phillies acquired Nittoli from the Toronto Blue Jays to bolster their bullpen depth. “He’s throwing a very great breaking ball,” said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.