Zac Brown Band Debuts on NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball Opening The Zac Brown Band has joined the ranks of iconic performers like Carrie Underwood and Lenny Kravitz by becoming a central figure in NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball opening segment. The southern rock band, known for its Grammy-winning hits, will perform a reimagined version of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression Part 2” during the debut of the network’s new baseball coverage. The segment will air on Sunday, featuring the Atlanta Braves hosting the Cleveland Guardians in the first “Sunday Night Baseball” game on NBC. Zac Brown, the band’s lead singer, expressed his excitement about the collaboration, calling it a humbling honor to be associated with Underwood and Kravitz in this context. “It’s humbling, honestly, to have our band’s name mentioned in the same breath as theirs in this context means a lot. 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,” Brown said in an email to The Associated Press. The choice of the song was deliberate, as NBC Sports creative director Tripp Dixon explained. The track’s use of an organ and its opening line, “Welcome back, my friends to the show that never ends,” resonated with the network’s branding of Major League Baseball as “The Show.” Dixon noted that these elements felt like a natural fit for the opening segment. “Those were the two elements we felt like holy cow, that sounds like something to build this idea around,” he said. The collaboration between the band and NBC Sports was described as a seamless process.#nbc #lenny_kravitz #carrie_underwood #zac_brown_band #sunday_night_baseball
Zac Brown Band to Headline NBC's 'Sunday Night Baseball' Opening The Grammy-winning southern rock group Zac Brown Band is set to debut a new opening segment for NBC's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast, marking a significant collaboration between the network and the popular music act. The segment, which will kick off the network's weekly MLB broadcasts, is designed to inject a fresh, energetic vibe into the long-running program. The band's involvement is expected to enhance the viewing experience for fans by blending their signature blend of country, rock, and folk music with the sports programming. The Zac Brown Band's new opening segment will debut during NBC's Sunday Night Baseball coverage on Sunday, April 13, 2026. This date coincides with the start of the MLB season, making the segment a fitting introduction to the network's weekly broadcasts. The band's participation underscores the growing trend of sports networks partnering with high-profile music acts to engage viewers and create a more immersive experience. This collaboration is part of a broader strategy to modernize traditional broadcasts while leveraging the cultural appeal of music. Zac Brown, the lead singer of the Zac Brown Band, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We're excited to be a part of the Sunday Night Baseball tradition and bring our unique sound to the opening of the broadcast.” His comments highlight the band's commitment to contributing to the legacy of the program while adding their distinctive musical flair. The segment is anticipated to feature a mix of original music, performance elements, and thematic content that aligns with the spirit of baseball. The decision to feature the Zac Brown Band reflects NBC's efforts to balance its sports programming with entertainment.#atlanta #nbc #atlanta_braves #zac_brown_band #sunday_night_baseball
Zac Brown Band to Debut 'Sunday Night Baseball' Opening on NBC The Zac Brown Band has joined an elite group of artists who have created iconic opening segments for major sports broadcasts, following in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood and Lenny Kravitz. The three-time Grammy Award-winning Southern rock band will perform a reimagined version of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression Part 2” as the opening act for NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball, marking a significant milestone in their career. The segment will debut during the first game of the new Sunday night baseball series, when the Atlanta Braves host the Cleveland Guardians on a date yet to be confirmed. The band’s performance, which blends rock elements with the original song’s dramatic flair, was crafted in collaboration with NBC Sports creative director Tripp Dixon. Dixon highlighted the song’s unique qualities, noting that its use of an organ and the opening line “Welcome back, my friends to the show that never ends” resonated with the concept of baseball as “The Show.” The choice also ties into the shared theme of anticipation for Sunday night, a motif that has been central to previous openings by Underwood for Sunday Night Football and Kravitz for Sunday Night Basketball. The segment was filmed in Milwaukee last month, with a brief clip featuring in NBC’s opening night broadcast between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. Brown expressed pride in the final product, describing the collaboration as a “genuine partnership” that brought the band’s energy to life. “We put everything we had into the performance, and then watching it come together with the visuals, the production—it took on a whole new life,” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “The folks at NBC Sports really understood the energy we were going for.#nbc #atlanta_braves #zac_brown_band #sunday_night_baseball #tripp_dixon
