2026 Yankees Opening Day Game set to shockingly debut on Netflix
originally appeared on The Sporting News

Major League Baseball has reached an agreement with Netflix, giving the streaming service exclusive rights to broadcast the 2026 Opening Day matchup between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants according to the Athletic.

The game, scheduled in primetime, will be the league’s only contest that day. The rest of the 28 clubs will begin their season the following afternoon.

The agreement between MLB and Netflix runs through the 2028 season and includes special events such as the Home Run Derby, the “Field of Dreams” game, the “Rickwood Field” game and the new “MLB Speedway Classic.”

Despite the deal, most Yankees games in 2026 will remain on YES Network, with additional primetime coverage split between Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports, ESPN, Fox, Apple TV and NBC.

Netflix’s debut broadcast will feature two of baseball’s most high-profile franchises. The Yankees, owners of the most championships in MLB history, boast stars like Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, though Cole is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. The Giants counter with recent addition Rafael Devers along with infielders Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. 

A potential pitching matchup of Max Fried against Giants ace Logan Webb would dominate the headlines with the two stars going toe-to-toe. Fried leads the league in wins so far in 2025, while Webb has 14 of his own. Fried has a 2.86 ERA this season while Webb is not far behind at 3.30.

In the meantime however, the Yankees remain focused on finishing the 2025 season strong after falling just short of a championship last year.