Netflix Scores MLB Home Run Derby as Apple Bows Out of Friday Night Baseball

Apple's decision to drop its Friday Night Baseball rights has opened the door for Netflix to acquire the MLB Home Run Derby, according to Yahoo Sports. The move comes as Major League Baseball negotiates new media deals extending through 2028, following exits by both Apple and ESPN.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said talks with potential partners are "like a jigsaw puzzle," with NBC/Peacock also poised to pick up Friday inventory alongside Sunday Night Baseball and Wild Card games. Manfred added that planned league expansion could enable geographic realignment to reduce travel and boost West Coast viewership.

Apple and Michigan State University have unveiled the first U.S. Manufacturing Academy in downtown Detroit's First National Building. The free, two-day program equips small and medium-sized businesses with tools on smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence through expert-led courses and hands-on training.

MSU and Apple engineers will also offer one-on-one consultations, networking opportunities and an expanding curriculum that includes upcoming virtual sessions. This initiative forms part of Apple's plan to invest over $600 billion in U.S. operations over the next four years.

According to a new YouGov survey reported in Sherwood News, Siri and other voice assistants are used in essentially the same five basic ways as they were in 2018. The top activities—

• Checking the weather (59%)


• Playing music (51%)


• Web searches (47%)


• Setting timers/alarms (40%)


• Hands-free calls (39%)

...still dominate interactions, while 10% of users say assistants are "not as smart" as expected. This static pattern emerges amid delays and walk-backs on Apple's long-promised Siri overhaul.