YouTube to Stream 13 Major League Baseball Games This Season

A package of Major League Baseball games will stream on YouTube beginning in July, the partners announced this afternoon. Users will have access to the exclusive 13-game schedule for free from any device without logging in. They will also stream on a YouTube TV channel being created, but a subscription is required for that.

Dodgers-Phillies on July 18 is the first of the MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube slate. MLB Network’s Scott Braun and Alexa Datt will be joined by Orel Hershisher and John Kruk, two former players who have a fair amount of history with the teams. Broadcast crews for the other games will be released later, and one can assume they’ll follow a similar playbook.

Each game will also have a pregame and postgame show.

Major League Baseball has been broadcasting select games on Facebook and Twitter in recent years, but YouTube presents a new platform. YouTube TV has been the presenting sponsor of the World Series since 2017.

Baseball’s fanbase is not the most receptive to change so we’ll see how this goes over. My guess is that those interested in watching their favorite teams play will find a way to do it while those who don’t won’t put in the effort.

But, hey, it’s fun to try new things every once in a while if you’re up for it.