Yankees Reportedly Charge Players For Wi-Fi On Team Plane

The Yankees have been known to be a team that isn’t afraid to spend.

But even the richest teams have limits.

Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein published a piece Wednesday morning that revealed the Yankees charge their players to use Wi-Fi on their flights, which is about $9 per player.

“Technically, it’s Delta that does the charging, approximately $9 per flight. (Delta also offers free iMessage and WhatsApp.) But the Yankees, whom Forbes estimates are worth $6 billion, do not cover the cost,” Apstein wrote. “A person familiar with the prices of such things said an in-flight Wi-Fi plan for one team for one year costs approximately $40,000—or about the price of four (Gerrit) Cole pitches.”

Gerrit Cole was surprised by the fact that Wi-Fi wasn’t included on flights. Not that someone like Cole can’t afford it, but Wi-Fi an expense the Yankees certainly could front for their players.

Aaron Judge, though, found a loophole.

“I’ve got T-Mobile,” Aaron Judge told Apstein. “So I don’t have to worry about it.”

T-Mobile offers free in-flight Wi-Fi to Delta flyers.

According to Apstein, the Cincinnati Reds are the only other Major League Baseball team to make their players pay for in-flight Wi-Fi.

A first-world problem, sure, but it still is a bit surprising the Yankees don’t offer it.