The New York Mets will be fortunate to open the season at home, a game that will also be part of NBC’s Opening Day doubleheader under its new media rights deal with MLB. However, Mets fans will feel the impact when it comes to who will be calling the game.
“On Opening Day, Mets fans won’t be able to hear Gary, Keith and Ron in a game where the Mets face Paul Skenes. Instead, they’ll have to start a Peacock subscription,” SleeperMets posted on X, adding that it’s not the ideal way to begin the season.
NBC’s return to MLB, including Peacock, is a historic deal after decades without offering MLB games, but for Mets fans, missing their familiar broadcast crew in the season opener on March 26 at 1:15 p.m. ET is a disappointing tradeoff.
When will the Mets be back on NBC?
To help fans plan ahead, the Mets won’t only appear on NBC on March 26. They are also scheduled for NBC broadcasts on June 21 against the Phillies, July 5 against the Braves, and August 30 against the Astros, giving fans plenty of notice to prepare for the streaming limitations.
For some relief across the league, NBC and Peacock will carry a limited number of games during the season. “NBC will air 20 games in 2026, including two Opening Day matchups and Sunday Night Baseball!” MLB reported on X.
Not all reactions to the new deal were positive. “That’s some garbage right there. I won’t be watching any of those games. I could care less about those teams. Do I really need to see the Mets for 20% of the Sunday night games? Nope,” wrote @QuietlyMknNoise on X.
Others were less bothered by the Mets playing a handful of games without their usual broadcasters. “I already pay for cable. Not gonna stream. If I care, I’ll listen on the radio. But I have a feeling there’ll be little to care about,” wrote Margaret Uminsky (@devmet9586) on X.