This is what Blue Jays' fans think about Apple TV Broadcasts

While the Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball schedule has been known for sometime, details are just now emerging of how much it will mess up both the Blue Jays opening weekend as well as SportsNet revenue stream.

The Blue Jays open the season against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, March 27th. The very next day, Friday March 28th, will feature the two on Apple TV+.

So why is this a big deal?

Well for starters, many Canadians don't already subscribe to the streaming service. Secondly, given that Thursday's game as well as the games on both Saturday and Sunday are all slated to start in the afternoon, SportsNet has lost a valuable primetime spot early in the season.

While Monday and Tuesday's games against Washington are both evening games, weekday primetime and weekend primetime aren't the same thing. SportsNet first true Primetime will be the April 5th game against the New York Mets.

While AApple TV Broadcasts are a necessary evil considering lucrative they are for the league as a whole, SportsNet executives are seemingly unhappy with the latest scheduling developments. And rightfully so.

The Blue Jays' contest against the Mariners on April 18th will also be featured on Apple TV+, causing SportsNet to miss out on two primetime spots in the first month of the season. For a broadcaster of a team like the Jays, that could prove huge if the team starts struggling early on.

None of this is SportsNets fault of course. But this, coupled with all of Canada being considered a blackout region, suggests that MLB needs to find better ways to include the national broadcaster of the league's only Canadian team.