Sunday’s Phillies-Rockies game won’t air on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Good luck finding Sunday’s Phillies game on television.

The game against the Colorado Rockies won’t air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, and it isn’t being carried by national networks like ESPN or Fox. It’s only available to stream on Peacock as part of NBC’s deal with MLB.

Like last year, NBC will exclusively air its slate of early Sunday Leadoff games during the regular season that will usually start an hour or more before the next scheduled game. Sam Flood, NBC’s longtime producer and president of production, said that head start has only gotten better thanks to the introduction of the pitch clock, which has shaved about 30 minutes off the length of an average game.

“We love the idea that we’re getting a head start,” Flood told The Inquirer. “We also love the idea that you’re getting to be in the sixth or seventh inning before any other games begin. That’s awesome.”

Calling the game on Peacock is veteran baseball announcer Matt Vasgersian, who is filling in for Brendan Burke while he’s calling the NHL playoffs for TNT. Alongside Vasgersian will be former Rockies outfielder turned Marquee Sports Network analyst Dexter Fowler and a familiar face to Phillies fans — NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Rubén Amaro Jr.

It’s part of a strategy Flood said worked well last year, placing a neutral play-by-play voice alongside two analysts, one from each of the team’s local broadcasts.

“These folks are engaged full season with their respective teams,” said Flood, who compared the broadcast pairings to a dinner party where you might not know other guests.

“We found that the analysts would say how much fun they had, how different it was than a normal game, because they’re engaging with someone who’s embedded in the other team,” Flood said. “The conversations went to new places, and each person learns something that made their future games better.”

Here’s everything you need to know to stream Phillies-Rockies on Peacock:

First, you’ll need to be a Peacock Premium subscriber, with pricing starting at $4.99 a month.

If you’re an Xfinity subscriber, access to Peacock Premium is included. However, that gravy train will end June 26, when Peacock will no longer be included as part of an Xfinity subscription. The Phillies have one more game scheduled to air exclusively this season on Peacock — Sept. 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Once you have a subscription, it’s as simple as downloading the Peacock app and streaming it on your phone, tablet, or television. NBC generally makes it easy to find.

NBC will also stream a pregame show beginning at 11:30 a.m. hosted by Ahmed Fareed, who will be joined by former New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher. Both will return for postgame coverage.

On Friday night, fans will have to stream another Phillies game, this time on Apple TV+.

The Phillies will take on the Houston Astros in a rematch of last year’s World Series, but you’ll have to purchase a subscription to Apple TV+ to stream it as part of the tech giant’s Friday Night Baseball package. Monthly subscriptions run $7 a month, though you might find the game at bars and restaurants around Philadelphia, thanks to Apple’s deal with DirecTV.

Apple hasn’t announced who will be calling the game, but their crew of announcers includes Wayne Randazzo, Alex Faust, Ryan Spilborghs, and one-time Phillies pitcher Dontrelle Willis.

The Phillies have one more game scheduled this season on Apple TV+ — June 23 against the New York Mets.