Phillies-Mets game not on NBC Sports Philadelphia, streaming on Apple TV+

The red-hot Phillies have a chance to overtake the New York Mets this weekend in South Philly, but fans will need to dance around the channel guide to find the games on TV.

This weekend is a microcosm of sports television at the moment, with the slow death of cable TV forcing fans to navigate two different channels (though at least one is broadcast) and a subscription service to watch the games.

“Fandom isn’t being nurtured anymore. It’s being mined,” former ESPNer Joon Lee wrote recently in the New York Times, explaining how sports fans are forced to pay for a dizzying array of streaming services. With ESPN opting out of its deal, expect more MLB games to end up behind a paywall next season.

For now, if you want to avoid the hassle of clicking around, just tune in to listen on 94.1 WIP, where Scott Franzke and Kevin Stocker will call all three games. But if you want to see all the action, here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream this weekend’s Phillies games:

Tonight, you’ll need Apple TV+ to stream Phillies-Mets

First up is tonight’s game against the Mets, which will stream on Apple TV+ as part of its Friday Night Baseball doubleheader (Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres is the evening’s other game).

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Philly time, with ace Zack Wheeler (7-2, 2.76 ERA) taking the mound for the Phillies.

Calling the game will be play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo and analyst Dontrelle Willis, the one-time Phillies pitcher. Heidi Watney will offer reports from Citizens Bank Park.

Apple does have a cool feature that allows you to listen to local broadcasts, so you can stream the game while hearing Franzke and Stocker on the call.

With no pre- or postgame show airing on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Apple has its own pregame show beginning at 6:30 p.m. featuring Siera Santos, Xavier Scruggs, and Russell Dorsey.

If you’re not currently a subscriber to Apple TV+, the service runs $9.99 a month with a free seven-day trial (there’s a three-month trial for Apple Card users). You also might find the game airing at bars and restaurants around Philadelphia, thanks to Apple’s distribution deal with DirecTV. Just call ahead to make sure.

The Phillies have at least one more Apple TV+ game during the first half of the season — July 25 against the New York Yankees.

Saturday night’s Phillies-Mets game will air on Fox

Phillies-Mets move over to Fox Saturday night for Baseball Night in America, with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

Calling the game on Fox will be play-by-play announcer Adam Amin alongside analyst John Smoltz. Ken Rosenthal will report from Citizens Bank Park, and after calling Friday night’s game, Willis will be back for Fox’s pregame show Saturday alongside Chris Myers.

Taking the mound for the Phillies Saturday night will be Mick Abel (2-0, 2.21 ERA), making just his fifth start of the year with Aaron Nola on the 60-day injured list. Abel will face off against Mets righty Griffin Canning (6-3, 3.80 ERA).

Even if you don’t have a cable subscription, you can stream Fox for free with a digital antenna on Fox 29 if you live in or around Philadelphia.

Thanks to a heavy dose of New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers game, Fox is averaging 1.996 million viewers a night this season, up 6% from an average of 1.885 million viewers through its first 10 games last year, according to the network

Final game of Phillies-Mets series will air on ESPN’s ‘Sunday Night Baseball ‘

The Phillies will conclude their three-game series against the Mets on ESPN, which is in its final year airing Sunday Night Baseball.

ESPN decided to opt out of its TV rights deal with MLB following this season, ending the league’s 36-year run on the network.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said he hopes to have a replacement for ESPN announced by the All-Star Game next month, though it’s possible the network’s package (which also include the Home Run Derby and wild card games) could be divided among multiple companies. NBC already bid for MLB rights, according to the Wall Street Journal, while Netflix is reportedly interested in adding games.

As for Sunday, Jon “Boog” Sciambi will handle play-by-play on ESPN due to Karl Ravech calling the College World Series finals. Joining Sciambi in the booth will be Sunday Night Baseball regulars David Cone and Eduardo Perez, with Buster Olney reporting from the stands.

Jesus Luzardo (6-3, 4.41 ERA) is scheduled to take the mount for the Phillies looking to overcome a shaky start against the Cubs. He’s set to face lefty David Peterson (5-2, 2.60 ERA).

ESPN is leaving MLB on a high note. Sunday Night Baseball is averaging 1.75 million viewers per game, which the network says is its most-watched season since 2017. Overall, ratings are up 9% compared to last season.

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Upcoming Phillies TV schedule