The Yankees and Mets will headline a streaming-driven Opening Day for Major League Baseball in 2026, marking another significant shift in how the sport’s biggest markets are delivered to fans.
The Mets will open the season Thursday, March 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a nationally televised afternoon game airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the matchup featuring reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes opposite a Mets lineup led by Juan Soto. The game is part of MLB’s return to NBC, which will carry Opening Day coverage for the first time in decades.
Across town, the Yankees will take center stage one night earlier — exclusively on Netflix.
As part of a new three-year media rights agreement, Netflix will stream an Opening Night game each season from 2026 through 2028.
The inaugural broadcast will take place Wednesday, March 25, when the Yankees host the San Francisco Giants. The matchup will feature slugger Aaron Judge against Giants star Rafael Devers, marking the first time a regular-season MLB game is carried live on Netflix.
NBC’s Opening Day coverage will also include a primetime matchup later on March 26, when the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8 p.m. Both games will air on NBC and Peacock.
The Mets’ Opening Day broadcast is part of a broader NBCUniversal package that includes 27 primetime games and 34 afternoon games during the regular season, along with exclusive coverage of the entire Wild Card round of the postseason.
NBC will also introduce “MLB Sunday Leadoff,” an 18-game afternoon series beginning May 3, followed by a weekly whip-around show across Peacock and NBCSN.
For MLB, placing Opening Day games for its two New York franchises on Peacock, NBC and Netflix underscores the league’s aggressive expansion into streaming platforms while maintaining a presence on traditional broadcast television.
Netflix’s deal with MLB also includes the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, one additional special event game each season and the revival of the Field of Dreams game in August 2026. MLB Network will partner with Netflix on production.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Netflix’s reach aligns with the league’s long-term growth strategy, while NBC’s expanded role restores a familiar national stage for the sport.
For Yankees and Mets fans, Opening Day in 2026 will arrive not just with first pitches, but with new platforms defining how baseball’s biggest moments are watched.
