April 2, 2026 – The start of a new MLB season brings optimism for fans of all 30 teams. And that optimism was visible in the viewership numbers for the Opening Day broadcasts, both inside Category 10 and across the world.
Across NBC and Peacock, the day-night Opening Day doubleheader of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the New York Mets followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Los Angeles Dodgers averaged 2.7 million viewers, the largest single-network MLB Opening Day audience on record for multiple games.
NBC reports that the Pirates-Mets matchup in the afternoon averaged 2.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, the most-watched Opening Day afternoon game on record. Closing out the night, even amid NCAA Tournament coverage, the NL West nightcap brought in an average of 3.2 million viewers, becoming the most-watched Opening Day primetime game since 2017 and the highest MLB audience for any Thursday in the first half of the season (pre-All-Star break).
Just as the opening days of the MLB season bring plenty of excitement about our favorite teams and players, the viewership for Opening Day last week is yet another positive sign for an unforgettable MLB season in 2026!