Apple used its iPhone 17 Pro to film parts of a live Major League Baseball game, streaming the footage on its own Apple TV+ service. The move was a real-world demonstration of the smartphone's pro-level camera capabilities on a platform Apple pays millions to control.
From pocket to production: The integration was no gimmick; four phones were deployed throughout Fenway Park to capture intimate angles from the dugout, the Green Monster, and the stands. A "Shot on iPhone" graphic identified the footage, and the phones were connected into the main broadcast truck just like any other camera.
Hardware meets hardball: Placing the iPhone in a professional telecast proves the consumer device's camera can hang with traditional broadcast equipment. For a company paying a reported $85 million annually for its MLB rights, the stream provides a powerful marketing opportunity for its flagship product.
This is Apple's ecosystem in action. The company is using its exclusive content deals not just to sell subscriptions, but to create high-stakes, real-world validation for the hardware it sells.
While Apple experiments with its national broadcast, local MLB viewership is also seeing a streaming-fueled boost, climbing 3% this season thanks to new in-market options. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Apple's larger MLB deal could end earlier than its 2028 expiration as part of a wider league-wide reshuffling of domestic rights.
