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NBC’s MLB Return Opens With 2.7 Million Average, Best Single-Network Opening Day Since 2017

The strong debut signals momentum for MLB on NBC despite measurement shifts that blur year-to-year comparisons.

Mar 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas (right) interviews Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Overview

  • Opening Day on NBC and Peacock averaged 2.7 million viewers across two games, with 2.3 million for Pirates–Mets in the afternoon and a combined 3.2 million for Diamondbacks–Dodgers at night.
  • NBC said the 2.3 million matinee set the Opening Day afternoon record, and Sports Media Watch reported the two-game average as the top single-network mark since 2017.
  • The 3.2 million figure for the Dodgers game reflects a combined count from Nielsen TV ratings and Adobe streaming data, which NBC says aligns with other networks’ Nielsen-only totals.
  • Sports Media Watch said the Dodgers window rose 88% compared with ESPN’s comparable 2025 Opening Day game that drew 1.7 million on a Nielsen-only basis.
  • This was NBC’s first regular-season MLB coverage on its platforms since 2000, with on-site pregame shows and debuts for Jason Benetti and Clayton Kershaw, while MLB Network also set its own Opening Day game record at 354,000 for Tigers–Padres.