Streaming Madness: Yankees vs. Giants on Netflix to Kick Off 2026 MLB Season

Netflix – the same place you binge-watch Narcos, Stranger Things, and all that other Hollywood junk – is now in the baseball business. And guess who’s carrying their first ever exclusive MLB stream? That’s right, your New York Yankees. March 25, 2026, Opening Day, Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants. Forget cable, forget YES for one night – you’re logging into Netflix to watch Aaron Judge launch balls into the Bay.

The Big Picture: MLB Sells Out to Silicon Valley

Here’s the play: MLB cut a brand-new three-year deal with Netflix. The Yankees opener in San Fran is their first “exclusive” stream. Not on YES, not on ESPN, not even on Fox – Netflix. MLB wanted to replace the $1.65 billion ESPN bailed on, and they chopped up the rights like it was a clearance rack. Sunday Night Baseball? That’s going to NBC/Peacock. Playoff rounds? Peacock too. The Home Run Derby? Netflix. The “Field of Dreams” and “Rickwood Field” specials? Netflix and Peacock are splitting those. Fox, the same network that gave us the World Series magic for decades, is now left picking up scraps.

Yankees at the Center of the Streaming Revolution

You can’t tell me this wasn’t intentional. MLB didn’t pick the Rays or the A’s. They picked the Bronx Bombers. Why? Because the Yankees move the needle. Netflix isn’t dumb – they’re not dropping hundreds of millions to stream Royals-Tigers. They want Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, the pinstripes, the legends, the global brand. Netflix even has their eye on Japan, where baseball is a religion and where Judge vs. Ohtani storylines print money. You bring the Yankees, you bring the world.

But Don’t Get It Twisted – It’s Still About the Cash

None of this is about “expanding the game” or “making it more accessible.” Let’s be real. It’s about money. ESPN walked away from $550 million per year. MLB scrambled to plug the hole, and Netflix/NBC/Peacock ponied up about $225–250 million a season each. Add it all up, boom – the same $1.65 billion ESPN was paying. Fans? We’re just collateral damage. If you don’t got Netflix, tough luck. You either subscribe or you miss the Yankees’ first pitch of 2026.

🚨NEWS: Netflix will be the exclusive home of MLB’s Opening Day next season featuring the Yankees-Giants in prime time, The Athletic has learned

Details …https://t.co/sW9ld9ExV0

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) September 25, 2025

What This Means for Yankee Fans

• YES Network still runs the show – most games are there.
• Amazon Prime – about 20 local games streaming there.
• Fox/ESPN/TNT/Apple TV+ – sprinkle in some national dates.
• Peacock Sundays – they’ve got your late morning stuff now.
• Netflix – and now they’re kicking off the season with the Yankees headlining.

So unless you’ve got a spreadsheet keeping track of where to watch, you’ll be hunting remote controls and apps like it’s a second job.

My Take: Another Layer of Nonsense for the Fans

Look, I get it – baseball’s trying to keep up with the NFL, NBA, whatever. But what’s next, Yankees-Red Sox on Hulu? Playoff games on Disney+? It’s insane. Baseball used to be simple. Turn on Channel 11, watch Phil Rizzuto call the game, done. Now you need five apps, three subscriptions, and a tech degree just to follow a full season. Meanwhile, the league pats itself on the back for “innovation.”

Bottom Line

Yankees-Giants, March 25, 2026, Opening Day – the first time in MLB history a season starts on Netflix. It’s a cash grab, it’s a circus, but it’s also history. And of course, the Yankees are in the middle of it. Like always. They’re not just a baseball team – they’re the main event. Remember this when Judge cracks that first homer and Netflix crashes from half the country trying to log in.

Final Word

MLB can play musical chairs with its broadcast partners all it wants. At the end of the day, it always comes back to the Yankees. When baseball needs headlines, when they need eyeballs, when they need to make a statement – they call the Bronx Bombers. That’s why Opening Day belongs to us. That’s why Netflix cut the check. Love it or hate it, baseball’s future is streaming – and the Yankees are once again the front page of the story.