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]
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 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 its historic Game of the Week broadcasts).[10]
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]
In an August 2022 press release, the NBC Sports Group indicated a "full season" of MLB Sunday Leadoff in 2023, presumably meaning the schedule will feature more than the 18 weeks in 2022 and begin in April.[17]
^β While there wasn’t a regular commentary team, Ahmed Fareed, Craig Monroe, and Britney Eurton did select commentary, mostly interviews, during the broadcast.
