The baseball viewing experience on television has become highly fragmented and very confusing. Fans are being forced to shift between broadcast, cable, streaming platforms and exclusive packages just to watch their favorite team.

But one thing remained simple on Opening Day 2026: fans knew where to find the game on audio.

More than 2.4 million fans tuned into their team’s Opening Day play-by-play coverage across broadcast or streaming, with Audacy stations accounting for over 1.4 million of those listeners. Across the country, 75% of Audacy flagship stations ranked #1 or #2 during their Opening Day games, and Audacy delivered more #1-ranked stations than any competitor.¹

That performance reflects something bigger than reach alone.

Baseball has always been deeply connected to audio. Hometown broadcasts make fans feel like they’re part of the team itself. The voices become part of summer, familiar companions during commutes, backyard barbecues, walks, errands, and long drives. Audio moves with the fan, allowing them to stay connected to every pitch wherever they are.

And audio captures something television often can’t fully recreate: the authentic sounds of baseball itself. The crack of the bat, the pop of the mitt, the rise of the crowd after a big moment. As legendary Yankees broadcaster John Sterling once said, “You have to paint the picture.” That’s exactly what play-by-play audio does.

That connection is also becoming more personalized. Audacy research found that 36% of MLB fans have paired play-by-play audio with live television, choosing hometown radio voices to enhance the experience with added emotion, context, and perspective.²

Opening Day 2026 reinforced how sports audio fits naturally into the modern fan experience: portable, personal, live, and always connected to the hometown voice of the game.