NBC Sports is leaning heavily on star power as it prepares for its return to Major League Baseball coverage this season.
The network announced Sunday that Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto have been hired as studio analysts, bringing three recently retired players straight from the field to the broadcast desk. The news was revealed during NBC’s Super Bowl pregame coverage, signaling how prominently baseball will factor into the network’s broader sports lineup.
Kershaw, Rizzo, and Votto will appear on pregame shows for Sunday Night Baseball, with appearances determined by their schedules. All three will also contribute as pregame analysts during NBC and Peacock’s coverage of the wild-card round.
Each analyst brings a distinct résumé. Kershaw concluded an 18-season career that included three National League Cy Young Awards and multiple championships with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rizzo wrapped up a 14-year run highlighted by his role in ending the Chicago Cubs’ century-long championship drought in 2016, along with multiple All-Star selections and Gold Glove honors. Votto spent 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and earned National League MVP honors in 2010.
NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said the network plans to build new on-air concepts around the trio’s firsthand experience and insight, starting on Opening Day.
The network has already begun assembling its broader MLB broadcast team. Bob Costas has been named host of the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show, with Ahmed Fareed also serving as a host. NBC has not yet announced its play-by-play announcers or in-game analysts.
As part of its promotional push, NBC debuted a new MLB spot during the Super Bowl featuring New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, alongside familiar NBC personalities. The campaign will also appear during the network’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.
NBC’s MLB return includes an Opening Day doubleheader on March 26, followed by an expanded Sunday Night Baseball schedule that transitions to the main network from late May through early September. The move marks the most significant baseball presence on NBC in decades, as the network looks to reestablish itself as a major broadcast home for the sport.