NBC Welcomes Kershaw, Rizzo, Votto as MLB Analysts for 2024 Season

NBC has officially announced the hiring of former Major League Baseball stars Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto as analysts for its upcoming coverage of MLB games. The announcement was made during the Super Bowl pregame show, marking a significant return for the network to baseball broadcasting after several years.

The trio will contribute to pregame shows leading up to “Sunday Night Baseball” games, with their participation dependent on their schedules. Additionally, they will serve as pregame analysts during the coverage of the Wild Card round games on NBC and Peacock. All three analysts recently retired from professional baseball, bringing valuable insights from their illustrious careers.

Kershaw, a three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, completed an impressive 18-season career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired after leading the Dodgers to their third World Series title in six seasons. Rizzo, a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, played 14 seasons across three teams and famously caught the final out of the 2016 World Series, securing the Chicago Cubs’ first championship since 1908. He retired last September. Votto, who spent 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, was named the NL Most Valuable Player in 2010 and retired in 2024.

NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood expressed enthusiasm about the new additions, stating, “We’re excited to welcome Clayton, Anthony, and Joey, three stars right off the field who can provide fresh perspective on the players, teams, and everything that makes baseball special.” He added that viewers can expect innovative concepts that leverage the unique insights of each analyst, beginning on Opening Day.

In addition to the new analyst hires, NBC has appointed Bob Costas as the host of the “Sunday Night Baseball” pregame show, with Ahmed Fareed joining him as a co-host. The network has not yet announced its play-by-play announcers or additional analysts for the games.

NBC is also ramping up its promotional efforts for MLB, having debuted a new advertisement featuring Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees slugger, during the Super Bowl. This advertisement will continue to air throughout the network’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. Uzma Rawn Dowler, MLB’s chief marketing officer, expressed confidence in the partnership, highlighting the creative promotional plans that demonstrate NBC’s commitment to energizing baseball’s presence in mainstream media.

NBC has a storied history with baseball, having broadcast games from 1939 until 1989. The network also participated in the short-lived Baseball Network alongside ABC in 1994 and 1995, and aired playoff games from 1996 to 2000.

The network is set to kick off its MLB coverage with an Opening Day doubleheader on March 26, 2024. The first game will feature the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates facing Juan Soto and the New York Mets at 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The primetime game will showcase the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks at 8 p.m.

“Sunday Night Baseball” will debut on Peacock and NBCSN on March 29, 2024, with the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians facing off against the AL West champion Seattle Mariners. The first Sunday night game on NBC will occur on April 12, 2024, when the Guardians visit the Atlanta Braves. Following this, the next six weeks of coverage will be available on Peacock and NBCSN, before NBC takes over Sunday night broadcasts from May 31 through September 6.

With these strategic hires and promotional initiatives, NBC aims to make a significant impact in its return to MLB broadcasting, engaging both devoted fans and new audiences alike.