The New York Yankees' Opening Day game will air exclusively on Netflix for the second straight season, sidelining YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay from the call.
"To be blunt, it sucks," Kay told Newsday in a telephone interview. "It really does."
The Yankees open the 2026 season against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 25, streamed globally on Netflix as MLB's Opening Night. Netflix's broadcast team features Matt Vasgersian on play-by-play, CC Sabathia as analyst, and Lauren Shehadi as sideline reporter, with a pregame show including former Yankee Anthony Rizzo.
Kay, the longtime YES play-by-play voice, will be in San Francisco but won't call the opener. He'll contribute to YES's Opening Day pregame coverage, then handle play-by-play for the second game on March 27 (also on YES). The series finale goes to Fox.
"It doubly sucks because we just have the middle game," Kay said. "And the third game is a Fox game.
While acknowledging Netflix's appeal in securing a high-profile matchup like Yankees-Giants, Kay added, "I know that all of us at YES would rather have it."
Last season's opener aired on ESPN, where Joe Buck paid tribute to Kay (in attendance with family) by using his signature "See ya!" call on a home run. Kay called that moment "really, really fun and nice."
This year, Kay plans to turn the trip positive by attending the game in the stands with his family—his kids' first time in California—after handling pregame duties. "If I could sit with my son on Opening Day, I’m going to look at that as a plus," he said.