Sportsnet will air Friday's Toronto Blue Jays game — but it comes with a risky proposal

Toronto Blue Jays fans will be able to tune into Sportsnet to watch their team take on the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

This game was originally supposed to air on Apple TV, meaning that fans wouldn’t be able to tune in on their usual television channel. It would have regularly been a part of the Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball package, which has carried select Blue Jays games (and other MLB contests) each week of the regular season since 2022.

Understanding that the Blue Jays are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, however, Sportsnet was able to work out a deal to broadcast Friday night’s game, as first reported by Toronto Sun.

While a great deal in the short term, it may come with a cost.

The agreed-upon deal will now see Apple TV acquire streaming rights for the following Friday, Sept. 26, in a game that will feature the Blue Jays facing the Tampa Bay Rays.

Following a 4-0 loss to the Rays on Thursday night, and the Cleveland Guardians defeating the Detroit Tigers 3-1, the Jays’ chances of clinching a playoff spot this Friday are slim. In order to do so, they not only need to defeat the Royals but also need two of the three teams, the Tigers, Guardians, and Boston Red Sox, to lose their respective matchups.

It’s a pretty unlikely scenario for the Jays to clinch before heading into the weekend, which could mean that the following Friday, which will not be available on Sportsnet, could wind up being the more crucial outing. Though there are a lot of potential outcomes, that game on Friday, Sept. 26, could wind up being one in which the Blue Jays could clinch the AL East Division title.

Should the Blue Jays clinch a playoff spot tonight, this will have been a successful decision on behalf of Sportsnet. If they fail to do so, however, those calling the shots may be wishing they had simply let things be.

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