{"id":401,"date":"2026-05-30T21:33:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T21:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=401"},"modified":"2026-05-30T21:33:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T21:33:31","slug":"sunday-night-baseball-begins-summer-stretch-on-nbc-with-cardinals-cubs-matchup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=401","title":{"rendered":"‘Sunday Night Baseball’ begins summer stretch on NBC with Cardinals-Cubs matchup"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

NBC’s baseball coverage starts to hit its stride this week as \u201cSunday Night Baseball\u201d begins its summer stint on the network’s primetime schedule.<\/p>

Read more Thousands of vacant homes could soon trigger a hefty new tax in California city<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

Beginning with Sunday night’s NL Central matchup between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, there will be a game on NBC every week until Labor Day. The only exception is July 12 because of the start of the All-Star break.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

NBC will also have a game on Labor Day between the Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. The network will have the Wisconsin-Notre Dame college football game on Sept. 6.<\/p><\/div>

This is the first of a three-year deal for NBC to have Sunday night games along with the Wild Card rounds after ESPN opted out of its original rights deal with MLB.<\/p><\/div>

There were two early-season Sunday night games on NBC as well as an opening day doubleheader. The rest were streamed on Peacock.<\/p><\/div>

Justin Byczek, NBC Sports EVP of programing and rights management, said the momentum that baseball has had the past two years as well as the network having a spot on Sunday night’s schedule made it a natural fit. With the NFL, NBA and baseball, NBC has sports on Sunday nights all but one week.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

\u201cComing back there was a ton of excitement around baseball returning to NBC, obviously a property we have legacy with. I think the excitement that the offseason had and the progress that baseball was making only fueled that even more. And the game is easier to watch,\u201d Byczek said.<\/p><\/div>

ESPN averaged 1.83 million on Sunday night last year, its highest average since 2017. NBC has drawn at least 1.8 million for the two Sunday night games on linear television.<\/p><\/div>

The format of \u201cSunday Night Baseball,\u201d where play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti is joined in the booth by analysts from both teams, has also proved to be a success.<\/p>

Read more Record-breaking rain may delay start of peak fire season for Bay Area<\/a><\/p><\/div>

Benetti said at the beginning of the season that the aim was to have different conversations each week. That has been the case so far.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

\u201cThe wide range of topics that we have covered is vast and so I think it\u2019s gone great. I think that starting the NBC stretch of it will be awesome for people who are inclined to watch on broadcast TV and the wide reach that provides,\u201d Benetti said.<\/p><\/div>

This week’s analysts will be former slugger Albert Pujols, who won three NL MVP awards with the Cardinals, and Jim Deshaies, a former Cubs pitcher who is an analyst on their local broadcasts.<\/p><\/div>

Deshaies has been a longtime friend of Benetti’s.<\/p><\/div>

The Cubs-Cardinals game is one of many interesting matchups on NBC over the next couple of months. The schedule also includes Yankees-Red Sox on June 28, Padres-Dodgers on July 5, Dodgers-Yankees on July 19 and Giants-Red Sox on Aug. 23.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Sunday night’s game marks the first Cubs-Cardinals contest on NBC since June 3, 1989, when it was part of the Saturday afternoon \u201cGame of the Week\u201d window.<\/p><\/div>

\n
\"image\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>

The Bay Area’s best free newsletter.<\/div><\/h2>
Stay informed, and entertained.<\/div><\/div><\/div>