ESPN and Major League Baseball appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out of its rights deal in February. Nine months later, it appears to be the best thing to happen to both parties.

Get started on the diamond early on Sundays with the return of MLB Sunday Leadoff, featuring 18 games with late-morning starts — 17 Peacock/NBCSN exclusives and one Peacock/ NBC simulcast – over the course of the season. The package originally premiered on Peacock for the 2022 and 2023 seasons and now returns.

The three-year agreements were a direct result of ESPN opting out of the final three seasons of its contract in February.

Major League Baseball on Wednesday announced a series of new broadcast deals with ESPN, NBC, and Netflix for 2026-28, essentially replacing the final three years of ESPN’s previous deal which the network and MLB opted out of.

NBC, ESPN and Netflix will share tentpole events, including the Field of Dreams Game and the first round of the playoffs

MLB coverage begins with World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers raising the banner on Opening Day, Thursday, March 26th.