Michael Kay won’t get to call the New York Yankees’ first regular season game of 2026. That’s because Netflix secured the rights to three years’ worth of Opening Day games from Major League Baseball as part of a $50 million package last November.
Former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia will be in the booth with play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian and former San Francisco Giants slugger Hunter Pence when the Yankees visit the Giants on March 25.
MORE: Yankees cut three pitchers from spring training camp roster
Kay’s opinion?
“To be blunt, it sucks,” the Yankees’ veteran play-by-play broadcaster on YES told Newsday’s Anthony Rieber. “It doubly sucks because we just have the middle game (of the three-game series) and the third game is a Fox game. So, essentially, I’m flying to San Francisco for one game and then we go to Seattle after that.
“It’s not ideal because Opening Day, there’s a special pageantry to it, pomp and circumstance,” Kay continued. “People look forward to pitchers and catchers, that’s number one, and then number two is Opening Day. I guess if I’m Netflix, I’d want the Yankees and the Giants, too, but I know that all of us at YES would rather have it.”
Netflix also secured longtime MLB Network reporter Lauren Shehadi to work the game from the dugouts. Albert Pujols and former Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will be part of Netflix’s studio coverage for the game.
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