MLB Sunday Leadoff

MLB Sunday Leadoff is an American presentation of Major League Baseball (MLB) games produced by NBC Sports for the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service Peacock. One game each season is simulcast on NBC. It is NBC Sports' first national MLB package since 2000.

MLB Sunday Leadoff
Also known asMLB on NBC
MLB on Peacock
GenreBaseball telecasts
Presented byBrendan Burke
Ahmed Fareed
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
Production
Production locationsVarious MLB stadiums (game telecasts)
NBC Sports Headquarters, Stamford, Connecticut (studio segments, pregame and postgame shows)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time180 minutes (varies depending on game length)
Production companyNBC Sports
Release
Original networkPeacock
NBC (select games only)
Original releaseMay 8, 2022 (2022-05-08) –
present
Related
Major League Baseball on NBC

Peacock's coverage will include 19 Sunday regular season games during the 2023 MLB season, starting at either 11:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., or 1:00 p.m. ET.

History
See also: History of Major League Baseball on NBC

In March 2022, it was reported by The Wall Street Journal that NBC Sports was finalizing an agreement to establish a new package of Sunday afternoon games beginning in the 2022 MLB season. The package would be a successor to TBS's previous Sunday afternoon package during the later half of the season; as part of a contract renewal, TBS replaced these games with a new Tuesday night package across the entire regular season.[1]

As a prelude to the deal, Peacock had exclusively aired a June 2021 series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants. It was co-produced by NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports Philadelphia, and featured a broadcast team led by the Giants' lead play-by-play announcer Jon Miller and his partner Mike Krukow, joined by the Phillies' analysts John Kruk and Jimmy Rollins.[2][3]

NBC formally announced the deal on April 6, with a reported value of $30 million per-season.[4][5] As part of the agreement, Peacock will also carry the All-Star Futures Game, as well as an MLB content hub featuring classic games and other video content.[5][6]

On April 13, 2022, NBC Sports announced that the games would be branded as MLB Sunday Leadoff.[7]

The inaugural broadcast was a game featuring the Chicago White Sox at the Boston Red Sox on May 8.[4] The game was also simulcast on the NBC broadcast network, marking its first MLB broadcast since Game 6 of the 2000 American League Championship Series on October 17, 2000, and its first regular season MLB broadcast since September 29, 1995.[4][5] All other games will be exclusive to Peacock Premium subscribers.

In Canada, where Peacock is not available, games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays are telecast by Sportsnet using its regular broadcast team. For all other games in Canada and in all other international markets, MLB Sunday Leadoff games are available live and on demand on the MLB.TV subscription service.

For the 2023 season, the amount of games increased to 19. Six games will start at 11:30 a.m., ten will start at 12:00 p.m., and 3 will start at 1:00 p.m. ET. For the second consecutive year, one game will be simulcasted on NBC.[8]

Production

The broadcasts were described as aiming for a "hyper-local telecast with a national flair". The games' on-air presentation builds upon that of NBC Sports' regional MLB coverage.[9] Former Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin 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 its historic Game of the Week broadcasts).[10]

Personnel
See also: List of Major League Baseball on NBC broadcasters and List of current Major League Baseball broadcasters

Jason Benetti (who calls Chicago White Sox games for NBC Sports Chicago, and also worked NBC's telecasts of baseball during the 2020 Summer Olympics)[11] served as the lead by-play announcer for the 2022 season, joined by rotating analysts from each participating team.[12][13][10] Ahmed Fareed would serve as the studio host.[14]

Benetti joined Fox Sports in August 2022.[15][16] Brendan Burke replaced Benetti as the lead play-by-play announcer for MLB Sunday Leadoff in 2023.[17] Due to Burke’s Stanley Cup Playoff commitments for TNT, Matt Vasgersian of MLB Network and Chris Vosters of NBC Sports Chicago will fill in for Burke during the first four games of Peacock’s 2023 schedule.

2023 MLB Sunday Leadoff games
Date Visiting team Home team Color commentators Ref.
April 23Colorado RockiesPhiladelphia PhilliesMatt Vasgersian (play-by-play), Dexter Fowler (Rockies), Rubén Amaro Jr. (Phillies)[18]
April 30Chicago CubsMiami MarlinsChris Vosters (play-by-play), Ryan Sweeney (Cubs), Tommy Hutton (Marlins)
May 7Baltimore OriolesAtlanta BravesMatt Vasgersian (play-by-play), Ben McDonald (Orioles), Andruw Jones (Braves)
May 14Los Angeles AngelsCleveland GuardiansChris Vosters (play-by-play), Mark Gubicza (Angels), Rick Manning (Guardians)

Schedule

The games have an exclusive midday window, with the first games carrying an 11:30 a.m. ET scheduling, and later games having an 12:00 p.m. ET scheduling; on days scheduled for games on Peacock, no other MLB games will begin until at least 1:30 p.m. ET.[4][5]

See also

References
  1. Diamond, Lillian Rizzo and Jared (2022-03-11). "NBC's Peacock Is Finalizing Deal to Stream MLB Games in New Sunday Time Slot". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  2. "Phillies-Giants series to be broadcast only on Peacock, for free". Awful Announcing. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  3. Kurtenbach, Dieter (June 14, 2021). "You won't be able to find SF Giants games on cable TV this weekend". The Mercury News.
  4. Lucia, Joe (April 6, 2022). "Your 2022 MLB regular season broadcasting primer". Awful Announcing.
  5. "MLB and NBC confirm 'US$30m a year' Peacock streaming deal". SportsPro. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  6. "Peacock's MLB package will be branded as 'MLB Sunday Leadoff'". Awful Announcing. 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  7. ""MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF" – PEACOCK AND NBC SPORTS REVEAL NAME AND LOGO FOR EXCLUSIVE SUNDAY MORNING BASEBALL PACKAGE". Comcast. NBC Sports Group Press Box. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  8. "PEACOCK AND NBC SPORTS ANNOUNCE 2023 MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF SCHEDULE". Comcast. NBC Sports Group Press Box. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  9. Digital, Brandon Costa, Director of (2022-05-06). "NBC Returns to Baseball as MLB Sunday Leadoff Streaming Package Debuts on Peacock". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  10. "RED SOX HOST WHITE SOX AT FENWAY PARK IN FIRST MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF GAME THIS SUNDAY, MAY 8 LIVE AT 11:30 A.M. ET ON PEACOCK & NBC". NBC Sports Group Press Box. May 4, 2022.
  11. Rosenthal, Phil (June 3, 2021). "Jason Benetti is set to call Olympic baseball for NBC this summer, the latest broadcasting gig for the Chicago White Sox announcer". Chicago Tribune.
  12. "NBC picks Jason Benetti and local analysts for Sunday MLB Peacock games". New York Post. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  13. Feinsand, Mark (May 4, 2022). "Watch White Sox-Red Sox Sunday on Peacock". MLB.com.
  14. "AHMED FAREED NAMED HOST OF MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF ON PEACOCK". Comcast. NBC Sports Group Press Box. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  15. Clapp, Matt (July 24, 2022). "Jason Benetti reportedly leaving ESPN for Fox". Awful Announcing. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  16. Bucholtz, Andrew (July 28, 2022). "Fox officially announces they've hired Jason Benetti". Awful Announcing. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  17. Chavkin, Daniel (April 3, 2023). "NBC to Hire Brendan Burke to Broadcast 'MLB Sunday Leadoff,' per Report". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  18. "First Pitch! Peacock's MLB Sunday Leadoff Debuts This Sunday, Apr. 23, At 12:05 PM ET With NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies Hosting Colorado Rockies". NBC Sports PR. April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
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