Major NBC shakeup on the cards as legendary trio headline $600 million MLB return

Jan 30, 2026 - 16:15

NBC is set to have a trio of former MLB players leading their programming in 2026.

The network is returning to the forefront of MLB broadcasting following a lengthy absence, as part of baseball’s new TV rights deal.

Bob Costas has won 29 Emmy Awards in his legendary broadcasting career[/caption]

NBC’s previous tenure as an MLB broadcast partner ended in 2000, when FOX took over coverage of the biggest games.

But last year, the network struck a deal which will see them pay close to $200 million per year for ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ which was formerly broadcast on ESPN.

The deal will also include a ‘Sunday Leadoff’ package, as well as the rights to the wild-card round of the playoffs.

It is part of a wider three-year deal rights package, that includes Netflix and ESPN.

NBC has already announced the return of legendary broadcaster Bob Costas, who will serve as the host of Sunday Night Baseball, and they have begun filling the studio panel roles.

They are set to hire former Chicago Cubs first-baseman Anthony Rizzo as lead analyst.

The former New York Yankee’s ability to navigate through the tough New York media market made him an attractive analyst option for networks.

Rizzo officially retired on 10 September, concluding a career which saw him play in several big markets, and he was an instrumental factor in ending the Chicago Cubs’ 108-year World Series drought.

Clayton Kershaw is reportedly nearing a deal to join as an occasional analyst after retiring at the end of the 2025 season.

Kershaw made it clear that he would prioritise spending time with family after retiring, so it is unlikely to be a full-schedule.

Kershaw was offered a front office role by the Dodgers but declined

Votto is only one of two Canadian players to achieve over 2,00 hits, 300 home runs and 1,000 RBI’s.[/caption]

The future Hall-of-Famer became just the fourth left-handed pitcher in MLB history to collect 3,000 strikeouts in 2025, and won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his final year.

The latest edition is set to be long-time Cincinnati Red’ Joey Votto, who retired in 2024.

Votto has often been described as one of the game’s most insightful players, and was a hot commodity for MLB’s expanded lineup of partners.

In 2024, Votto announced his retirement during the Reds’ series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, also happening to be Votto’s hometown.

Votto played 17-seasons in Cincinnati, finishing with 356 home runs and a career .920 OPS and is widely considered one of the best Reds’ players of all time.

For analysis on games, the trio bring plenty of playing experience, a combined 49 years in the MLB to be exact.

Votto holds the Reds all time franchise record for consecutive games with a home run (7)[/caption]

Collectively, they have won six Gloves, three Cy Young Awards, two MVP’s, two Roberto Clemente Awards, four World Series titles and 20 All-Star game nods.

All three were highly sought after by MLB’s list of expanding broadcast partners, and NBC landed them all.

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