The Yankees and Red Sox are back on NBC Sports this Sunday, and the matchup carries an unusual kind of weight: it is the first time the rivalry has aired on the network since 1995. NBC Sports is pairing that return with a Fenway Park broadcast on Sunday Night Baseball at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The game comes as New York leads the American League with a 46-31 record and a two-game edge in the AL East. Boston enters with key offensive production from first baseman Willson Contreras, while the Yankees continue to ride a strong balance of power, pitching, and speed.
What NBC Sports is bringing to the broadcast
Jason Benetti will handle play-by-play for the primetime game alongside seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and 2013 World Series champion Will Middlebrooks. Bob Costas will host the pregame show with Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
Rizzo, a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, is also set to be an analyst for NBC Sports’ MLB coverage throughout the regular season and its exclusive MLB Postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN.
| Broadcast Role | Name | Notable Background |
|---|---|---|
| Play-by-play | Jason Benetti | Calls the game on Sunday Night Baseball |
| Game analyst | Roger Clemens | Seven-time Cy Young Award winner |
| Game analyst | Will Middlebrooks | 2013 World Series champion with Boston |
| Pregame host | Bob Costas | Veteran NBC broadcaster |
| “Inside the Pitch” analyst | Anthony Rizzo | 2016 World Series champion, four-time Gold Glove first baseman |
The network is also using the game to revisit a piece of baseball history. The last Yankees-Red Sox game on NBC Sports aired on Sept. 8, 1995, when David Cone, Darryl Strawberry, and Paul O’Neill helped New York beat Boston 8-4 at Yankee Stadium.
Why the rivalry still matters
New York’s numbers help explain why this meeting feels like a national showcase. The Yankees lead the AL with a 3.37 ERA, 115 home runs, 375 RBI, and 81 stolen bases, while breakout first baseman Ben Rice has become one of the team’s biggest threats.
Rice leads the Yankees with 22 home runs and 53 RBI, and he also owns a .288 batting average with 15 doubles. Jazz Chisholm adds another layer of speed, ranking fourth in MLB with 23 stolen bases.
Boston’s attack is led by Contreras, whose .281 batting average, .525 slugging percentage, .901 OPS, 16 home runs, and 45 RBI pace the club. Aroldis Chapman is also tied for fourth in the AL with 14 saves.
Sunday’s earlier game adds another divisional layer
The day begins with Athletics-Angels on MLB Sunday Leadoff at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN. The Angels host the second-place Athletics at Angel Stadium, with 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and breakout shortstop Zach Neto among the headliners.
Dave Flemming will call that game with former Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden and 1985 World Series champion Mark Gubicza, while John Fanta serves as sideline reporter. The matchup features Kurtz, who leads the majors with a .439 on-base percentage and 61 RBI, and Neto, who is tied with Mike Trout for the Angels’ team lead with 17 home runs.
Peacock expands the Sunday baseball lineup
After Athletics-Angels, NBC Sports’ Sunday Stretch whip-around show will stream live on Peacock, with look-ins at live action around Major League Baseball in real time and on replay. Peacock is also promoting its MLB Hub, which offers live games, team hubs, highlights, and features like Catch up with Key Plays, Live in Browse, and MLB Live Picks.
Peacock’s “Game of the Day” slate continues throughout the week with nationally streamed out-of-market games nearly every day. The listed games include Orioles-Angels on Tuesday, June 23, Dodgers-Twins on Wednesday, June 24, Mariners-Pirates on Thursday, June 25, Phillies-Mets on Friday, June 26, Nationals-Orioles on Saturday, June 27, Astros-Tigers on Sunday, June 28, Dodgers-Athletics on Monday, June 29, Giants-Diamondbacks on Tuesday, June 30, and Tigers-Yankees on Wednesday, July 1.
NBC Sports also continues its digital baseball push with MLB According to CC, the weekly series hosted by National Baseball Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Ahmed Fareed. The show includes recurring segments such as “CC’s Clubhouse” and “Show Me Something,” which blend current MLB storylines with memories from Sabathia’s career.
That larger baseball package sits within NBC Sports’ long MLB history, which includes the first-ever MLB television broadcast in 1939, the first World Series broadcast in 1947, the first nationally televised All-Star Game in 1952, and 39 World Series telecasts overall. For baseball fans, Sunday’s Yankees-Red Sox game is both a current rivalry showcase and a return to a familiar NBC stage.
