The MLB Opening Day doubleheader on NBC and Peacock delivered strong gains over 2025, averaging 2.7 million viewers across both games.
The network’s broadcasts of Pittsburgh at the Mets and Arizona at the Dodgers marked the return of baseball to NBC platforms for the first time since 2000, as well as the debuts of flashy new hires in Jason Benetti and Clayton Kershaw.
The Pirates-Mets matinee drew an average of 2.3 million viewers, NBC said, the most-watched Opening Day afternoon game on record.
In the evening, Diamondbacks-Dodgers averaged 3.2 million viewers, the most since the Cubs’ banner ceremony in 2017.
Big Opening Day Return for MLB on NBC and Peacock!
Details: https://t.co/i7au3Aqxr3 pic.twitter.com/ZBdrnejdiz
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) March 30, 2026
Both games featured on-site pregame shows and color commentary from local game analysts, which will be the norm for MLB on NBC broadcasts this season. The doubleheader also aired on both NBC’s broadcast network and Peacock, giving Opening Day far more reach than it had on ESPN in recent seasons.
MLB Network also airs a national game on Opening Day. This year’s Tigers-Padres tilt drew an average of 354,000 viewers, the network said, the best Opening Day audience for a game in its history.
Last year, a Brewers-Yankees matinee game with Joe Buck on the call drew an average of 1.93 million viewers on ESPN. The primetime game between Detroit and the Dodgers dipped to 1.74 million.
Baseball’s Opening Day has the disadvantage of coming up against the first day of the men’s Elite Eight, with some of those games also airing on CBS.
But coming off a strong 2025 postseason and an incredible World Baseball Classic, MLB’s momentum is strong. The numbers on Opening Day suggest that momentum should continue.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.