Zac Brown Band Steps Up to the Plate for NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Opening

NBC is adding a dose of Southern rock to its sports portfolio. The Zac Brown Band, the three-time Grammy Award-winning group, will debut as the face of the opening sequence for NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball coverage starting April 12, 2026.

The debut coincides with a high-profile matchup as the Atlanta Braves host the Cleveland Guardians. This partnership places the band in an elite circle of musicians associated with NBC’s prime-time sports branding, joining the likes of Carrie Underwood and Lenny Kravitz.

Joining the ‘Sunday Night’ Legacy

For years, NBC has used high-profile musical artists to set the tone for its Sunday evening sports blocks. Carrie Underwood has been the voice of “Sunday Night Football” since 2013, utilizing a reimagined version of Joan Jett’s 1988 hit “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Meanwhile, Lenny Kravitz headlines the opening for “Sunday Night Basketball” with a version of Elvis Presley’s 1968 track “A Little Less Conversation.”

For Zac Brown, the comparison is a significant milestone. “It’s humbling, honestly, to have our band’s name mentioned in the same breath as theirs in this context means a lot,” Brown said in an email to the Associated Press. “We’ve spent many years just trying to make music that connects with people, and something like this tells you that it’s reaching further than you ever imagined.”

The Creative Vision: ‘The Display That Never Ends’

Selecting the right track for a Major League Baseball opening required a specific energy. The band will perform a reimagined version of “Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression Part 2” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

The choice was driven by both sonic and lyrical synergy. Tripp Dixon, the creative director for NBC Sports, noted that the song’s use of an organ and its opening line—”Welcome back, my friends to the show that never ends”—made it a natural fit. In professional baseball, “The Show” is a common colloquialism for the Major Leagues.

“Those were the two elements we felt like, holy cow, that sounds like something to build this idea around,” Dixon said. He added that the theme of “waiting all day for Sunday night” further aligned the music with the anticipation of a primetime sporting event.

From Milwaukee to the National Stage

The production of the opening sequence took place last month in Milwaukee. Whereas the full segment debuts this Sunday, NBC provided a glimpse of the project earlier, featuring a few seconds of the footage during the opening night broadcast between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The scale of the production left a lasting impression on the band’s frontman. “It was one of those experiences where you step back and think, how did we get here?” Brown remarked.

To provide some context for global viewers, this move represents NBC’s strategy to blend cultural iconography with sports broadcasting, creating a “destination” feel for its Sunday night programming regardless of the sport being played.

Key Details of the Debut

• Debut Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026
• Featured Game: Atlanta Braves vs. Cleveland Guardians
• Song: “Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression Part 2” (originally by Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
• Filming Location: Milwaukee
• Network: NBC

As the Atlanta Braves prepare to seize the field in their home city, the addition of the Zac Brown Band’s Southern rock influence provides a fitting soundtrack for the first “Sunday Night Baseball” game on NBC.

Fans can watch the full opening sequence during the Braves-Guardians broadcast this Sunday. For more updates on MLB coverage and broadcasting milestones, stay tuned to Major League Baseball news.