ESPN Sunday Night Baseball Returns for 27th Season as Exclusive National MLB Game of the Week
Opening Night World Series Rematch on Sunday Night Baseball Season Premiere
ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell will return for its 27th season as the exclusive, national Major League Baseball Game of the Week in 2016. The prime-time, weekly platform will be home to baseball's best players and most compelling matchups throughout the season, beginning with an Opening Night World Series rematch - the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals and World Series M.V.P. Salvador Perez host the New York Mets and ace Matt Harvey - on Sunday, April 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Sunday Night Baseball presented by Taco Bell telecasts, generally starting at 8 p.m., will be available all season long on ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio andWatchESPN.
Early-season schedule highlights
- Multiple appearances by several teams expected to contend in 2016: Boston Red Sox; Los Angeles Dodgers; New York Mets; New York Yankees; and San Francisco Giants;
- Sunday Night Baseball to document Boston Red Sox icon David Ortiz's final season across four early appearances;
- The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox renew their rivalry three times, including back-to-back weeks (May 1, May 8, July 17);
- NL West rivals: Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants will square off twice (April 17, June 12);
- The Pittsburgh Pirates and Andrew McCutchen to appear on Sunday Night Baseballfor third consecutive season (June 12), 8th appearance since 2014;
- Special Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader on June 12: St Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates (5 p.m.); Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (8:30 p.m.);
- The Arizona Diamondbacks, led by new ace Zack Greinke, to make first appearance since 2008 (July 10);
- The Houston Astros, led by Carlos Correa, to make first appearance since 2013 (April 24).
Early-season Sunday Night Baseball schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Telecast | Network(s) |
| Sun, Apr. 3 | 8:30 p.m. | New York Mets at Kansas City Royals on Opening Night | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, Apr. 10 | 8 p.m. | New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, Apr. 17 | 8 p.m. | San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, Apr. 24 | 8 p.m. | Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, May 1 | 8 p.m. | New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, May 8 | 8 p.m. | Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, May 29 | 8 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets | ESPN2, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, June 12 | 5 p.m. | St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| 8:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio | |
| Sun, July 10 | 8 p.m. | Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Sun, July 17 | 8 p.m. | Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
*remaining Sunday Night Baseball game selections will be made two to three weeks out.
The Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown presented by Chevrolet pre-game show will also return for the 2016 season. The one-hour show will begin at 7 p.m., recap the day in baseball and will preview the Sunday Night Baseball game that night.
ESPN will televise a star-studded, two-day, seven-game season-opening schedule, which will feature the Opening Day games for every 2015 MLB Postseason team. On Sunday, April 3,ESPN will televise two games in new afternoon windows leading into the prime-time World Series rematch on Sunday Night Baseball. ESPN will then televise an Opening Day quadruple-header beginning at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 4.
ESPN MLB season-opening schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Telecast | Network(s) |
| Sun, Apr. 3 | 1 p.m. | St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates | ESPN, WatchESPN |
| Sun, Apr. 3 | 4 p.m. | Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays | ESPN2, WatchESPN |
| Sun, Apr. 3 | 8:30 p.m. | New York Mets at Kansas City Royals | ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio |
| Mon, Apr. 4 | 1 p.m. | Houston Astros at New York Yankees | ESPN, WatchESPN |
| Mon, Apr. 4 | 4 p.m. | Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers | ESPN, WatchESPN |
| Mon, Apr. 4 | 7 p.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres | ESPN, WatchESPN |
| Mon, Apr. 4 | 10 p.m. | Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | ESPN2, WatchESPN |
ESPN Radio - in its 19th season of Major League Baseball coverage - will continue as the exclusive, national radio home of Sunday Night Baseball. ESPN Radio's weekly coverage starts at 7 p.m. and is also available on ESPNRadio.com and via the ESPNRadio app.
ESPN Deportes enters its 13th season as the Spanish-Language home to Sunday Night Baseball.
ESPN International: Sunday Night Baseball is available across Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Rim and on cruise ships.