Fans can breathe a sigh of relief: MLB is officially back.
After a months-long lockout, the prospect of seeing MLB games any earlier than the summer seemed, at points, to be dim. But the games are actually here, slated to begin Thursday and carry on through the rest of the year.
This year's Opening Day, for the first time in five years, will be split between Thursday and Friday. Not every team is going to play on Thursday, and not every team will play on Friday. But every team will be back in action on Saturday.
With first pitches scheduled to be thrown out over the course of the next three days, The Sporting News is breaking down exactly how to watch each team play their first games of the season, and where to find the nationally televised matchups.
Here's everything you need to know about Opening Day 2022.
MORE: Watch MLB Opening Day games live with fuboTV (free trial)
MLB Opening Day schedule 2022
The first few days of baseball will feature a handful of nationally televised games, with some slated to be carried by MLB Network, one on ESPN2 and one on FS1. There are also going to be three games carried by ESPN+ and two by Apple TV+.
Thursday, April 7
Here's a look at the full schedule of games scheduled for Thursday.
| Game | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Brewers at Cubs | 2:20 p.m. ET | MLB Network, BSWI, Marquee SN,fuboTV |
| Guardians at Royals | 4:10 p.m. ET | BSGL, BSKC,fuboTV |
| Pirates at Cardinals | 4:15 p.m. ET | ATT SportsNet, BSMW,fuboTV |
| Mets at Nationals | 7:05 p.m. ET | ESPN+ |
| Reds at Braves | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN2,fuboTV |
| Astros at Angels | 9:38 p.m. ET | ATT SportsNet SW, BSW,fuboTV |
| Padres at Diamondbacks | 9:40 p.m. ET | BSSD, BSA,fuboTV |
Friday, April 8
Here's a look at the full schedule of games on Friday.
| Game | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Red Sox at Yankees | 1:05 p.m. ET | MLB Network, NESN, YES Network, fuboTV |
| White Sox at Tigers | 1:10 p.m. ET | ESPN+ |
| Brewers at Cubs | 2:20 p.m. ET | BSWI, Marquee SN,fuboTV |
| Athletics at Phillies | 3:05 p.m. ET | MLB Network, NBCSCA, NBCP,fuboTV |
| Orioles at Rays | 3:10 p.m. ET | MASN, BSF,fuboTV |
| Dodgers at Rockies | 4:10 p.m. ET | ATT SportsNet LA, ATT SportsNet RM,fuboTV |
| Mariners at Twins | 4:10 p.m. ET | Root Sports NW, BSNO,fuboTV |
| Marlins at Giants | 4:35 p.m. ET | FSF, NBCSBA,fuboTV |
| Mets at Nationals | 7:05 p.m. ET | Apple TV+ |
| Rangers at Blue Jays | 7:07 p.m. ET | BSSW, Sportsnet,fuboTV |
| Reds at Braves | 7:20 p.m. ET | BSO, BSS,fuboTV |
| Astros at Angels | 9:38 p.m. ET | Apple TV+ |
| Padres at Diamondbacks | 9:40 p.m. ET | BSSD, BSA,fuboTV |
Saturday, April 9
Here's a look at the nationally televised games currently scheduled for Saturday.
| Game | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Red Sox at Yankees | 4:00 p.m. ET | FS1,fuboTV |
| Dodgers at Rockies | 8:10 p.m. ET | ESPN+ |
How to watch MLB games on Opening Day
Nearly all of the games on Opening Day will be broadcast on regional sports networks, meaning that viewers will need to be within their region to view them on cable television.
Across the first two days of Opening Day, however, there will be a few nationally televised games. The first two Mets vs. Nationals games on Thursday and Friday will be on ESPN+ and Apple TV+, respectively. The Reds vs. Braves on Thursday will be on ESPN2. The White Sox vs. Tigers game on Friday will be on ESPN+, and the Astros at Angels on Saturday will also be on Apple TV+.
Each day, there will be an afternoon game on MLB Network, depending on locality. On Thursday, fans not in the Milwaukee or Chicago regions will see the Brewers vs. Cubs on MLB Network. On Friday, the network will broadcast the Red Sox vs. Yankees game for anyone not in the region, or Athletics vs. Phillies for those who are in the Boston or New York regions.
MLB live streams for Opening Day
Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of MLB action over the two-day Opening Day will also have the option to stream the games instead.
MLB TV
Fans can watch MLB games that aren't in their local market using MLB TV. If a viewer tries to access a game that is being carried by their local cable station, it will be blacked out.
The yearly package costs $129.99 per year, $24.99 per month or $109.99 for watching only a single team.
Network apps
There are options to stream the nationally televised games as well. ESPN and Fox Sports have their own streaming apps that will carry their channels.
Those are WatchESPN, ESPN+and Fox Sports Go.
The only way to watch the Apple TV+ games will be with an Apple TV+ subscription. It offers a seven-day free trial, and costs $4.99 per month after the trial period.
Online streaming bundles
But if interest is more in the local games, there are streaming bundles that include access to the channels on which the games will be broadcast.
DirecTV stream, YouTube TV, Hulu Live and fuboTVall provide access to select TV channels that will carry several of the games.
In Canada, viewers can find Sportsnet, which carries the Blue Jays, and MLB Network onfuboTV.
How to watch MLB games in Canada
Baseball fans in Canada can watch MLB games on Sportsnet, TSN, TVA Sports and RDS. All Blue Jays games are broadcast live on Sportsnet One in Toronto.
MLB Network, which hosts various live games all season, can be live-streamed on both DAZN and fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
