NBC Sports means business in its return to MLB coverage.
The network is finalizing deals to make Joey Votto, Clayton Kershaw, and Anthony Rizzo part of its baseball plans this spring, Front Office Sports has learned.
The move marks a clean sweep by NBC of the top three TV free agents on the board heading into 2026.
Votto, once dubbed “the most interesting man in baseball,” has been eyed as the No. 1 TV prospect by MLB media partners NBC, Netflix, and ESPN, sources say.
As one sports TV producer previously told FOS about Votto, who spent 17 years with the Reds: “Joey Votto is, in my opinion, a no-brainer. He’s an MVP. He has a national name. He’s a natural in front of the camera.” Added another media source: “If NBC wants to make a splash with Sunday Night Baseball, Joey would be perfect.”
Several years ago, ESPN brass toyed with the idea of even building a Pat McAfee–type show around the former National League MVP, say sources.
The 37-year-old Kershaw recently retired from the Dodgers after winning his third World Series championship. But the legendary pitcher is expected to work a limited schedule.
The outgoing Rizzo has been the most aggressive about seeking a post-baseball media career. The 36-year-old former Yankee star was a hit with the media in the tough New York market.
“Rizz played the New York media better than anybody—and that’s not easy,” one source previously told FOS. “He always had a smile on his face.”
Back in November, FOS first reported that Votto, Kershaw, and Rizzo were all being targeted by MLB media partners for the 2026 season. On Wednesday, Ryan Glasspiegel of FOS reported NBC was closing in on a deal to make Kershaw part of its studio coverage.
NBC finalized a three-year, $600 million deal last fall to return to MLB coverage for the first time in 26 years. As a result of the deal, NBC is taking over Sunday Night Baseball from ESPN as well as exclusive rights to the wild-card playoff round.
NBC declined to comment.
