NBC Sports has announced its comprehensive 2026 Major League Baseball schedule, marking the league's return to the network after more than two decades. The lineup features key Opening Day games, a full slate on July 5, and revamped Sunday programming on NBC and Peacock. Highlights include marquee matchups and postseason coverage.
Major League Baseball is set to return to NBC in 2026, ending a 25-year hiatus since their last partnership ended in 2000. The network, which previously broadcast MLB from 1947 to 1989 and 1994 to 2000, revealed its schedule on January 9, 2026, as part of a three-year deal worth approximately $200 million annually—significantly less than ESPN's previous $550 million commitment.
The season kicks off with an Opening Day doubleheader on March 26. At 1 p.m. ET, the New York Mets, featuring Juan Soto, will host Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner from 2025. The evening's primetime game at 8 p.m. ET sees the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers raise their banner before facing the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium—the only national primetime broadcast that day.
Sunday Night Baseball returns to NBC starting March 29, with the Seattle Mariners hosting the Cleveland Guardians at 7 p.m. ET. The 25-game package includes high-profile clashes such as the Chicago Cubs versus St. Louis Cardinals on May 31, New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies on June 21, New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox on June 28, and Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankees on July 19. The Cubs appear three times: against the Cardinals on May 31 (6 p.m. CT), hosting the San Francisco Giants on June 7 (7 p.m. CT), and versus the Cincinnati Reds on August 30 (2 p.m. CT). A Labor Day primetime game features the Cardinals at Giants.
MLB Sunday Leadoff, an 18-game early-afternoon series mostly on Peacock, begins May 3 with the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Minnesota Twins at 12:30 p.m. ET.
July 5 brings "Star-Spangled Sunday," coinciding with America's 250th Independence Day celebration, where all 15 MLB games air nationally. Key broadcasts include Mets at Braves at 12:30 p.m. ET and Padres at Dodgers at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, with the rest on Peacock; the Cubs host the Cardinals at 1:30 p.m. CT on Peacock.
NBC will cover the Wild Card Series in the playoffs and stream one out-of-market game daily on Peacock. Spanish-language coverage airs on Telemundo Deportes and Universo. For announcers, Fox's Jason Benetti is the lead play-by-play frontrunner, with Baltimore Orioles' Kevin Brown as a candidate and Clayton Kershaw eyed for studio appearances.
This schedule expands NBC's sports portfolio alongside NFL and NBA programming, with most Peacock exclusives simulcast on NBCSN.
