Deal reportedly closed for $140m a year, on the heels of worldwide success of Apple-produced Brad Pitt film F1
Apple has landed US broadcast rights to Formula One in a five-year deal that would help the tech giant bolster its streaming service with one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, following the success of its Brad Pitt-starrer F1: The Movie.
The two sides did not disclose the financial details of the deal on Friday. CNBC reported it was for $140m a year, much higher than the $90m the Walt Disney-owned ESPN was paying each season for F1, which it has broadcast since 2018.
Max Scherzer was exceptional and the Blue Jays' offense exploded for the second straight game as Toronto won 8-3 last night and evened the Best of 7 American League Championship series against the Seattle Mariners at two games apiece.
The veteran Scherzer allowed two runs over 5.2 innings in his first appearance in almost a month. The Jays' bats hit Luis Castillo and the Mariners' bullpen hard, racking up 11 hits. After driving in a couple runs in Game 3, Andres Gimenez drove in four more last night to pace the Toronto attack that has now accounted for 29 hits and 21 runs the last two games.
Seattle turns to Bryce Miller today to try and turn the series back around while the Jays counter with Kevin Gausman.
Lets dive into the numbers and try to find an advantage or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Blue Jays at Mariners - ALCS Game 5
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 6:08PM EST
Site: T-Mobile Park
City: Seattle, WA
Network/Streaming: FS1
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Blue Jays at the Mariners - ALCS Game 5
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Toronto Blue Jays (-115), Seattle Mariners (-105)
Spread: Blue Jays -1.5 (+152)
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Blue Jays at Mariners - ALCS Game 5
Pitching matchup for October 17, 2025: Kevin Gausman vs. Bryce Miller
Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.59 ERA) Last outing: 10/12 vs. Seattle - 5.2IP, 2ER, 3H, 1 BB, 5Ks Gausman has struck out 5 or more in 8 of his last 9 starts
Mariners: Bryce Miller (4-6, 5.68 ERA) Last outing: 10/12 at Toronto - 6IP, 1ER, 2H, 3BB, 3Ks Miller has not struck out more than 4 in any of his last 5 starts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Blue Jays at Mariners
Cal Raleigh is 8-17 (.471) with 4 HRs against Kevin Gausman in his career
Eugenio Suarez has struck out 8 times in 24 career ABs against Gausman
Toronto as a team is hitting .204 against Bryce Miller
George Springer is 2-9 (.222) with both hits being HRs in his career against Miller
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s Game 5 between the Blue Jays and the Mariners
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Blue Jays and the Mariners:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Seattle Mariners at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Sports.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani showed a bit of pulse at the plate when he led off Game 3 of the National League Championship Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers by lining a triple into the right field corner. He scored moments later on a Mookie Betts double.
Ohtani—the Dodgers’ 10-year, $700 million man—came into the game with one hit in the best-of-seven series against the listless Milwaukee Brewers, who now trail 3-0 after losing, 3-1, at Dodger Stadium Thursday night. Manager Dave Roberts was so concerned about Ohtani’s hitting that he moved him to the back of the NLCS pitching rotation.
Now he has Ohtani in place to close out the series with a mound start in Game 4 on Friday. After a 1-for-4 late afternoon ballgame with two strikeouts at the plate, he’s 2-for-11 in the series with no homers, five whiffs and a .641 OPS. But according to Roberts, he’s working his butt off trying to snap out of the slump.
At the same time, Ohtani’s preparing for a chance to clinch the team’s second consecutive NL pennant, the precursor of repeating as World Series champions.
How does Ohtani manage it? Well, he has 700 million reasons.
“He’s a unicorn,” Roberts said about the two-way Japanese player. “I don’t know how he manages it. Every minute of the day is accounted for.”
Before the series began, Roberts even went as far as saying the Dodgers can’t repeat as World Series champs unless Ohtani snaps out of his offensive funk. But here they are, one win away from putting themselves in position to compete against either Toronto or Seattle.
“He’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Roberts said. “We’re pitching very well. We’re playing great defense. Obviously Shohei is not in the form that we expect. But we have a long way to go.”
The supposition is that the workload for the 31-year-old Ohtani has caught up with him, even though he has made only one pitching start in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ohtani threw six innings of three-run, three-hit ball with nine strikeouts in a 5-3 win.
Ohtani’s offensive numbers began to slip after he returned to pitching on June 16 after undergoing Sept. 2023 elbow surgery. His batting average dipped 18 points and his OPS slightly declined as the regular season ended. Still, he finished with 55 home runs, third among all players in the regular season.
The playoff drop off his been more severe. He opened just fine with two homers in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds. In the two-game sweep, he hit .333 (3-for-9) with the two homers and four RBIs.
But between a four-game victory over the Phillies in the NLDS and this NLCS, he’s fallen off the map. He’s gone 3-for-29(.103) with no homers, a pair of RBIs, 14 strikeouts and five walks, three of them intentional.
Ohtani, though, doesn’t believe pitching has anything to do with his extended slump at the plate.
“I don’t necessarily think that the pitching has affected my hitting performance,” he said through his interpreter. ”Just on the pitching side, as long as I control what I can control, I feel pretty good about putting up results. On the hitting side, just the stance, the mechanics, that’s something that I do—it’s a constant work in progress.”
A left-handed hitter and a right-handed pitcher, Ohtani has seen a steady diet of left-handed pitching thrown at him. When the Brewers started left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby Thursday, Ohtani surprisingly fell behind in the count before launching the triple, which had an exit velocity of 82 mph off Ohtani’s bat.
“He’s one of the best hitters in the game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He [has not been] hitting the way he can. We’re not doing anything very special except we’re pitching him very carefully. Any time we can bring in a lefty to face him, that’s what we’ll do. He’s not barreling the ball like he does, but to us he’s still a dangerous, dangerous hitter.”
To Murphy’s point, Ohtani is a .264 lifetime hitter against left-handed pitching, .282 overall. But while his strategy is working well negating Ohtani, the Brewers have their own problems. They’ve scored three runs and amassed just nine hits in three games against Dodgers pitching.
If Ohtani continues that trend on the mound Friday, it won’t matter how he hits. The Brewers will be finished, and the Dodgers will be on to the World Series.
Most of the quarterbacks who are writing the story of the 2025 season are not the ones who entered the season with the most hype. Here's a midseason evaluation of the sport's most notable signal-callers.
ELMONT, NY --Matt Martin may have called it a career this summer, but his impact on the future of the New York Islanders' organization is immeasurable.
Since No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer arrived on Long Island, Martin, who was named Special Assistant to first-time general manager Mathieu Darche, has taken the recently turned 18-year-old under his wing.
Martin, along with countless other teammates, had offered their homes to Schaefer for his rookie season, but every time we asked the young defenseman during training camp who he'd be living with, he said that he was focused on making the team first -- the right answer.
But, during Thursday night's ESPN+ broadcast, Emily Kaplan asked Schaefer who he'd be living with. Schaefer told her that over 10 teammates offered to house him, but that he'd be living with Martin.
#Isles Matthew Schaefer tells ESPN's @emilymkaplan that he'll be living at the Matt Martin house this year.
Schaefer has made an incredible bond with Martin's family, which includes their daughters Winnie and Alice. Martin and his wife Sydney also welcomed two twin boys back in June, so credit to them for bringing in another kid -- jokes.
Following the game, The Hockey News asked Schaefer about what Martin has meant to him:
It's very common for rookies to live with vets during their rookie season. Mathew Barzal lived with Dennis Seidenberg and his family. John Tavares lived with Doug Weight and his family.
While Schaefer's focus is developing his game on the ice, the 18-year-old is still learning a ton about life and there aren't two better people, in Martin and his wife Sydney, to learn from.
We await the social media posts of Schaefer donning an Elsa outfit.
Ahead of the 2025 season, it was fair to wonder whetherBrett Baty was about to get his last, best chance to show he could be a big part of the Mets' future.
In parts of three seasons with New York after making his debut late during the 2022 season, Baty's performance at the plate wasn't just underwhelming -- there also seemed to be a confidence issue.
Over 602 plate appearances spanning 169 games between 2022 and 2024, Baty slashed just .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers. He hit the ball on the ground way too much, had too many poor at-bats, and watched as the Mets' long-term third base job seemingly slipped away.
But while Mark Vientos staked his third base claim in 2024 as he popped 27 homers in 111 regular season games before having a power surge during New York's run to the NLCS, he relinquished it in 2025 -- leading to an opportunity for Baty, who also got plenty of time at second base.
And even though Baty didn't break the door down once given his chance, he finally started to put it all together.
In 432 plate appearances spanning 130 games this past season, Baty hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs and 13 doubles. His .748 OPS dwarfed his previous career-best OPS of .633, his OPS+ of 111 was solidly above league average, and his defense at third base was smooth and reliable.
But with the Mets entering an offseason where the offensive core could be shaken up, could Baty be impacted?
Should Baty be part of the calculus going forward, or is it time to explore a trade?
New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO LET BATY GO
Baty did a lot of things right in 2025, but he still hits the ball on the ground a ton.
His 51.0 percent groundball rate was improved from 2024 (54.5 percent) but still well above the MLB average of 44.2 percent. Baty also strikes out at a pretty high clip for someone who doesn't hit for a lot of power. And he won't make an impact on the bases.
It can be argued, though, that it's not really Baty's performance/profile that could make his situation tenuous, but the presence of others.
In other words, with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Nimmo locked in, it's hard to envision the Mets making a big offensive addition unless it's at third base or first base.
If that move comes at first base in the form of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, perhaps they'll simply slot Baty back in at third base. But in a world where New York re-signs Pete Alonso, would they be comfortable handing third base to Baty and basically running back the same offense that was so hit-or-miss in 2025?
What if Alonso walks, the Mets miss on Murakami, and sign/trade for a stopgap first baseman for 2026 who doesn't offer a ton offensively?
In that scenario, it's fair to think they'd look to bolster the offense elsewhere, with third base being a sensible spot to upgrade. And if they go that route, free agent Alex Bregman -- who is a plus offensive player and a plus defender -- could make a lot of sense.
New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Brett Baty (7) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
His bat speed was elite, while his hard hit percentage, barrel percentage, and xSLG were all well above average. Baty was also above average when it came to xwOBA, average exit velocity, and chase percentage.
And while the Mets possibly shaking up the offense might make Baty's future a little more uncertain than it would have otherwise been, his ability to play strong defense at third base is a huge plus to consider as David Stearns and the front office look to fortify the team's run prevention.
Even in a world where the Mets aren't sold on Baty as a starting player or simply want to go in a different direction at third base, he could still provide lots of value as a versatile bench player capable of handling third base, second base, and perhaps corner outfield in a pinch. He could also theoretically be part of the answer at designated hitter.
There's also Baty's age (26 for all of next season), cost, and team control to consider.
So the Mets have no reason to be in a rush to make a final determination on Baty.
Aug 19, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets third base Brett Baty (7) hits a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images
VERDICT
Unless there's a potential trade partner that locks in on Baty as a key target in a deal that would bring an impact player back to New York, it should be an easy choice to keep him.
Depending on how the offseason goes, Baty could enter the season as the starting third baseman, second baseman, or a key bench player.
And while Williams and Benge should be lineup options at some point in 2026, it will be a big surprise if either player is part of the plan by Opening Day.
‘Flickitau’ is first centre to win Australia’s top prize
Tabua Tuinakauvadra crowned top Wallaroos player
Wallabies star Len Ikitau has won the John Eales Medal, becoming the first centre to claim Australian rugby’s highest individual honour.
Ikitau enjoyed a phenomenal year in the gold jersey, opening the voting period in spectacular style by delivering the magical match-winning flick pass to Max Jorgensen in Australia’s epic win over England at Twickenham last November.
A dominant effort from yet another Dodgers' starting pitcher and just enough timely hitting has the Dodgers on the brink of a return trip to the World Series.
Tyler Glasnow allowed one run and just three hits over 5.2 innings as the Dodgers won Game 3 against the Brewers, 3-1. Tommy Edman and Mookie Betts each drove in a run but the story as it was in Games 1 and 2 was about the Dodgers' hurlers. This was more of a collaborative effort than the previous two games, but it was again dominant, nonetheless. Glasnow and four relievers allowed four hits while striking out 12 in putting the Dodgers on the brink of a sweep of the team with the best regular season record in the National League.
The freight train that is the Los Angeles Dodgers is now 8-1 this postseason (13-1 dating back into the regular season). Milwaukee has yet to announce who will start Game 4 for them. Los Angeles will send Shohei Ohtani to the bump with an eye on punching their ticket to the World Series.
Lets dive into the matchup and the numbers and perhaps find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Brewers at Dodgers - NLCS Game 4
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 8:38PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: TBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Brewers at the Dodgers - NLCS Game 4
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Milwaukee Brewers (+162), Los Angeles Dodgers (-200)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (+109)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Dodgers - NLCS Game 4
Pitching matchup for October 17, 2025: TBD vs. Shohei Ohtani
Brewers: TBD Last outing: Its not like Milwaukee pitchers have struggled in this series. LA is hitting just .267 through three games.
Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani Last outing: 10/4 at Philadelphia - 6IP, 3ER, 3H, 1BB, 9Ks Ohtani got knocked around in Philadelphia after not allowing a run in the previous 14.2 innings
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Dodgers - NLCS Game 4
Mookie Betts is 11-37 (.297) this postseason
Enrique Hernandez is 11-32 (.344) this postseason
Teoscar Hernandez leads the Dodgers with 23 Total Bases this postseason
Brice Turang is 1-12 this series
Christian Yelich is 1-11 this series
Andrew Vaughn is 0-10 this series
Jackson Chourio is 1-11 this series
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s NLCS Game 4 between the Brewers and the Dodgers
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Brewers and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Milwaukee Brewers at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Sports.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Former captain will not be in training squad next week
Farrell has not played for England since 2023 World Cup
Owen Farrell is expected to be overlooked by Steve Borthwick for England’s autumn internationals campaign despite injury headaches at inside-centre. It is understood that Farrell will not be named in a training squad on Sunday for next week’s mini camp and as a result Borthwick is expected to omit the 34-year-old former captain when he finalises his squad on 26 October.
The Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson, who started England’s two summer victories over Argentina, is sidelined through injury and likely to miss all four autumn Tests, against Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina, but as things stand that is not going to prompt Borthwick to turn to Farrell, who has not appeared for his country since the 2023 World Cup.
