Netflix鈥檚 forays into live sports have already been successful with the NFL and WWE. The streamer is hoping for another home run as its partnership with begins Wednesday night with the opening night game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.
The opener is part of a three-event package for Netflix that also includes the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams game between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 13.
Netflix鈥檚 progression into carrying baseball games is similar to how it ended up carrying the NFL 鈥� through successful documentaries that showed audience interest.
MLB also had an inventory of games and events it was looking to sell after ESPN opted out of its .
Besides Netflix getting three marquee events, NBC/Peacock is the new home of 鈥淪unday Night Baseball鈥� and the Wild Card Series.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix鈥檚 vice president of nonfiction series and sports, knew there was speculation it would carry the Home Run Derby, but one event for the season wasn鈥檛 feasible.
鈥淭his is in with our event strategy. On opening night, there鈥檚 only one game, and it鈥檚 on Netflix. And then doing the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams, we can capitalize on the renewed fandom and energy around baseball,鈥� he said.
Netflix 鈥� which is paying an average of $50 million per season for three years 鈥� also has the worldwide rights to the three MLB events, as it does for the NFL.
Netflix streamed all 47 games of the World Baseball Classic live and on demand in Japan. It also has the U.S. rights to the 2027 and 鈥�31 FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup.
MLB had an opening-night single game on Sunday for many years when the season began on Monday. That has changed in recent years, with the season now starting on Thursday.
鈥淎ll of the events feel unique, and it鈥檚 our job to elevate those elements to make them even brighter. I think when you do that event approach, our experience at least has been you鈥檙e pulling in all the existing fans, but really you end up recruiting a lot of people that wouldn鈥檛 normally or wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise engaged or watched it,鈥� Riegg said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 always a big win for the league, and it鈥檚 certainly a big win for us.鈥�
MLB Network will produce the game with Matt Vasgersian on play-by-play, CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence as the analysts, and Lauren Shehadi as a reporter.
Elle Duncan, who joined Netflix from ESPN in December, will host pregame and postgame coverage. She will be joined by Giants legend and seven-time NL MVP Barry Bonds, three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols, and Anthony Rizzo.
The same crews are also expected to do the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams game.
鈥淚 think what folks have seen us accomplish on the platform, and also knowing we鈥檙e only doing a couple of things over the year. I think it allows greater flexibility for some of the talent we鈥檙e approaching, so they don鈥檛 have to lock themselves into a really long schedule or a high volume of commitment. I do think we鈥檝e been able to have conversations with some talent that otherwise wouldn鈥檛 either be interested or available to do it,鈥� Riegg said.
The game will feature Yankees slugger and Northern California native , who was recruited by the Giants as a free agent in 2022 before signing a nine-year, $360 million contract to stay with the Yankees.
It will also be the debut of , who makes the jump to the majors from the University of Tennessee, where he led the Volunteers to. a College World Series title in 2024.
___
AP MLB:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
