| MLB Sunday Leadoff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Baseball telecasts |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Various MLB stadiums (game telecasts, pregame and postgame shows) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 180 minutes (varies depending on game length) |
| Production companies | NBC Sports (2022–23, 2026–present) MLB (2024–2025) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Peacock/NBC(2022–2023, 2026–present) The Roku Channel/MLB.tv(2024–2025) |
| Release | May 8, 2022 (2022-05-08) – present |
| Related | |
| Major League Baseball on NBC | |
MLB Sunday Leadoff is the branding used for broadcasts ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) games that primarily are held on Sunday afternoon. It was originally produced byNBC Sports for the streaming servicePeacock from2022 to2023 and again from 2026 to 2028, with one game each season simulcast onNBC. It was NBC Sports' firstnational MLB package since 2000. In2024 and2025,MLB Sunday Leadoff was produced byMLB Local Media forThe Roku Channel, and is also available blackout free onMLB.tv.[1]
In March 2022, it was reported byThe Wall Street Journal that NBC Sports was finalizing an agreement to establish a new package ofSunday afternoon games beginning in the2022 MLB season. The package would be a successor toTBS's previous Sunday afternoon package during the later half of the season; as part of a contract renewal, TBS replaced these games with a newTuesday night package across the entire regular season.[2]
As a prelude to the deal, Peacock had exclusively aired a June 2021 series between thePhiladelphia Phillies andSan Francisco Giants. It was co-produced byNBC Sports Bay Area andNBC Sports Philadelphia, and featured a broadcast team led by theGiants' lead play-by-play announcerJon Miller and his partnerMike Krukow, joined by thePhillies' analystsJohn Kruk andJimmy Rollins.[3][4]
NBC formally announced the deal on April 6, with a reported value of $30 million per-season.[5][6] As part of the agreement, Peacock would also carry theAll-Star Futures Game, as well as an MLB content hub featuring classic games and other video content.[6][7]
On April 13, 2022, NBC Sports announced that the games would be branded asMLB Sunday Leadoff.[8]
The inaugural broadcast was a game featuring theChicago White Sox at theBoston Red Sox on May 8.[5] The game was alsosimulcast on the NBC broadcast network, marking its first MLB broadcast since Game 6 of the2000 American League Championship Series on October 17, 2000, and its first regular season MLB broadcast since September 29, 1995.[5][6] All other games were exclusive to Peacock Premium subscribers.
Outside of the United States, the games were carried on MLB's out-of-market packages (including MLB.tv). In Canada, theToronto Blue Jays' appearances were televised as normal by MLB's Canadian broadcast partnerSportsnet, as part of itsregional rights to the team.
For the 2023 season, the number of games increased to 19. Six games started at 11:30 a.m., ten started at 12:00 p.m., and three started at 1:00 p.m.ET. For the second consecutive year, one game was simulcast on NBC.[9]
On May 13, 2024, Major League Baseball announced the package would move toThe Roku Channel for the 2024 season. The games are also simulcast onMLB.tv.[10] Roku pays around $10 million a year for the rights package.[11]
On November 19, 2025, the package returned to NBC Sports on a three-year deal. Games will still be streamed on Peacock, but will also air onNBCSN, with one game slated on NBC.[12]
The broadcasts were described as being "hyperlocal" with a "national flair", being built upon the on-air presentation for NBC Sports'regional MLB coverage.[13] FormerLos Angeles DodgersbroadcasterVin Scully (who served as NBC's lead play-by-play commentator for its MLB coverage from 1983 to 1989) narrated a special introduction for the first broadcast, emphasizing NBC's history as an MLB broadcaster (including itshistoricGame of the Week broadcasts).[14]
Upon moving to The Roku Channel in 2024,MLB Local Media assumed production of the broadcasts.[15]
Jason Benetti (whocallsChicago White Sox games forNBC Sports Chicago, and also workedNBC's telecasts ofbaseball during the2020 Summer Olympics)[16] served as the lead by-play announcer for the 2022 season, joined by rotating analysts from each participating team.[17][18][14]Jon Miller filled in for theSan Francisco Giants vs.Cincinnati Reds game.Ahmed Fareed would serve as the studio host.[19]
Benetti joinedFox Sports in August 2022.[20][21]Brendan Burke replaced Benetti as the lead play-by-play announcer forMLB Sunday Leadoff in 2023.[22] Due to Burke'sStanley Cup Playoff commitments forTNT,Matt Vasgersian ofMLB Network and Chris Vosters ofNBC Sports Chicago filled in for Burke during the first four games of Peacock's 2023 schedule.Dave Sims filled in for Brendan Burke on Sunday, August 20.
For the move to The Roku Channel in 2024,MLB Sunday Leadoff utilized a mix of local TV announcers from both teams, typically with the home or away team's play-by-play announcer and sideline reporter joined by the home or road team's color analyst.[23]
The games have an exclusive midday window, with games primarily starting at 11:30 a.m.ET, select games start at 12:00, 1:00 or 4:00 p.m. ET.[24] On days scheduled for games onMLB Sunday Leadoff, no other MLB games will begin until at least 1:30 p.m. ET.[5][6]
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