The tradition of Opening Day in baseball carries a weight that stretches well beyond the first pitch of a new season, which is why the news that the New York Yankees’ season opener will stream exclusively on Netflix has not sat particularly well with longtime Yankees television voice Michael Kay.
During a recent discussion about the announcement, Kay made it clear that the shift away from the team’s regional home at the YES Network represents a disappointing development where the local call will not be heard on Opening Day for Yankees fans.
“To be blunt, it sucks,” Kay said, according to Newsday. “It’s not ideal because Opening Day, there’s a special pageantry to it, pomp and circumstance.”
Netflix will exclusively stream the New York Yankees’ opener against the San Francisco Giants to kick off the company’s three-year media agreement with Major League Baseball signed last year. The agreement gives Netflix rights to the Home Run Derby and a share of MLB’s showcase regular-season games at special locations. That includes events such as the “Field of Dreams” game, “MLB at Rickwood Field,” and the new “MLB Speedway” matchup, which debuted last year.
The decision to exclusively showcase Opening Day away from Kay is not uncommon. Many clubs have had to do the same with national networks owning the moment over local calls. However, Kay’s frustration with the decision he says may dampen the Opening Day experience for Yankees fans.
“People look forward to pitchers and catchers, that’s number one, and then number two is Opening Day,” Kay continued. “I guess if I’m Netflix, I’d want the Yankees and the Giants, too, but I know that all of us at YES would rather have it.”
For decades, Opening Day broadcasts have served as a ceremonial start to the baseball calendar, combining introductions, crowd anticipation, and the emotional return of the sport following months without games. Because of that built-in pageantry, the assignment traditionally carries heightened significance for broadcasters who have spent years narrating a team’s history and connecting with its fan base.
Kay, who has called Yankees games on YES since 2002, has become synonymous with many of the franchise’s most memorable moments during the past two decades, developing a broadcast rhythm alongside analysts that has defined how many fans experience the team’s season.
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