YouTube will exclusively stream 15 MLB games this season

Photo by Brandon Wade/Getty Images

15 regular-season games will be shown exclusively on the platform, as part of the renewed streaming pact between Major League Baseball and YouTube. The first will be between the Nationals and Rockies.

MLB is trying to reach viewers across different streaming services. This is a breakdown of what is happening in the current season.

• Apple TV Plus has Friday Night Baseball, a weekly doubleheader available in eight countries exclusively on Apple TV Plus throughout the regular season.
• Peacock will stream 18 early Sunday games beginning May 8th, with all but one exclusive to the platform.
• Amazon Prime Video is exclusively streaming 21 New York Yankees games in the team’s home market during the 2022 season. Amazon already simulcasts in-market games after acquiring a stake in the YES Network in 2019.
• YouTube says 15 games will be available “live, for free, to fans around the world in 182 countries.”

The feed for the games will now be better quality, with a 60 frames per second frame rate, up from the 30 frames per second stream from previous years. There will be a number of features on MLB.com, such as live chat, in-game polls, and unique replays.

These deals are making it difficult for die-hard fans to watch their favorite team. Since the exclusive games aren't being shown on regional sports networks, having MLB.TV and a local (or internet) TV package doesn't cut it anymore. The baseball season is very, very long, and maybe it's worth doing some hopping between services if these moves successfully bring new, younger fans into the game and increase viewers. That's the whole point, after all.