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2w ago

Netflix’s MLB Debut Reaches 3 Million as NBC Leads Opening Week

The results give MLB and Netflix an early read on a three-year, nine-event streaming bet.

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Anthony Rizzo, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, CC Sabathia and Elle Duncan at MLB Opening Night Game: Yankees vs. Giants, Live on Netflix, Oracle Park, San Francisco, March 25, 2026. Photo by Deborah Coleman / Netflix
Image
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees hits an RBI double against the San Francisco Giannd inning on Opening Day at Oracle Park on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. , Image 2 shows A woman with headphones and a microphone in front of her speaks while gesturing with both hands, Image 3 shows Netflix branded baseball float is seen during the MLB Opening Night Game: Yankees vs. Giants, at Momo's on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California

Overview

  • Netflix’s Yankees–Giants stream on March 25 averaged about 3.0 million U.S. viewers, while NBC’s Diamondbacks–Dodgers telecast the next night drew roughly 3.2 million across broadcast and Peacock.
  • The Netflix game was the first MLB telecast measured by Nielsen on a streaming-only platform using its newer Big Data + Panel method, and NBC added Peacock viewing from Adobe Analytics to its total.
  • Netflix delivered a younger crowd, including 1.38 million adults 18–49, though media buyers said the company still owed makegoods after under-delivering that demo in its 2025 NFL Christmas games.
  • Viewers and trade outlets flagged production misses such as a mid-inning interview that caused the broadcast to miss MLB’s first automated ball-strike challenge, and host Elle Duncan later said the show aimed to court casual fans.
  • Local interest ticked up as Sports Business Journal reported 15 of 29 U.S. clubs posted Opening Day viewership gains on their regional broadcasts.