NEW YORK — When the Yankees open their 2026 home schedule on April 8, not every fan will be able to tune in the usual way. A significant chunk of the season is heading behind a streaming paywall, and for many in bars, restaurants, and non-Prime households, that is a problem worth knowing about now.
More games moving off traditional TV
Amazon’s Prime Video will carry 21 New York Yankees regular-season games exclusively in 2026. The announcement arrived Wednesday, confirming that the Yankees and Amazon are deepening a broadcast arrangement that first took hold in recent seasons.
The deal applies only within the Yankees’ home-team broadcast footprint, which covers New York State, Connecticut, north and central New Jersey, and northeast Pennsylvania. Fans inside that region who are already Prime members will not pay anything extra. Those outside the footprint are out of luck entirely.
For the millions of Yankees fans who watch in sports bars, the arrangement raises real complications. Many bars and restaurants that carry the YES Network do not hold a Prime Video license. That means a Wednesday night game could simply be unavailable at their favorite spot.
Why Wednesday nights belong to Amazon
Of the 21 games set for Prime Video, 17 fall on Wednesday evenings. The remaining four are spread across two Tuesdays and one Thursday doubleheader entry. The Wednesday concentration is deliberate. Amazon has long targeted mid-week nights as a foothold in live sports, much as it did with NFL Thursday Night Football.
The first game of the season on Prime Video is the Yankees hosting the Athletics on Wednesday, April 8, at 7:05 p.m. ET. From there, the calendar is dotted with mid-week matchups stretching all the way to Sept. 23, when the Tampa Bay Rays visit Yankee Stadium.
Rival-heavy matchups populate the schedule. The Yankees face the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays on May 20. There are three games against the Baltimore Orioles, including a back-to-back on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. The Boston Red Sox game on April 22 draws extra attention given the intensity of that rivalry.
Familiar voices, new platform
For all 21 games, the YES Network will produce the broadcast in partnership with Prime Video Sports. That means the familiar crew stays intact. Michael Kay, entering his 35th year as the play-by-play voice of the Yankees, handles the call. YES analysts David Cone, Paul O’Neill, and Joe Girardi join him in the booth.
Kay’s longevity alone carries weight. He has been the defining voice of Yankees broadcasts since 1992. Having him anchor the Prime Video games provides continuity for fans navigating the streaming shift.
Prime Video’s 30-minute pregame show returns as well. YES anchor Bob Lorenz hosts, with Justin Shackil filling in for select dates. Meredith Marakovits reports from the field, conducting live interviews and providing on-site coverage.
Full schedule: Yankees on Prime Video in 2026
Here is the complete list of all 21 Yankees games streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in 2026:
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| Wednesday, April 8 | Athletics at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, April 15 | Los Angeles Angels at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, April 22 | Yankees at Boston Red Sox | 6:45 p.m. |
| Tuesday, April 28 | Yankees at Texas Rangers | 8:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 6 | Texas Rangers at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 13 | Yankees at Baltimore Orioles | 6:35 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 20 | Toronto Blue Jays at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, May 27 | Yankees at Kansas City | 7:40 p.m. |
| Wednesday, June 3 | Cleveland Guardians at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Tuesday, June 9 | Yankees at Cleveland Guardians | 6:40 p.m. |
| Wednesday, June 17 | Chicago White Sox at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, June 24 | Yankees at Detroit Tigers | 6:40 p.m. |
| Tuesday, June 30 | Detroit Tigers at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, July 8 | Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays | 6:40 p.m. |
| Wednesday, July 29 | Yankees at Chicago White Sox | 7:40 p.m. |
| Wednesday, August 5 | St. Louis Cardinals at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, August 19 | Yankees at Baltimore Orioles | 6:35 p.m. |
| Thursday, August 20 | Yankees at Baltimore Orioles | 6:35 p.m. |
| Wednesday, August 26 | Houston Astros at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, September 9 | Colorado Rockies at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
| Wednesday, September 23 | Tampa Bay Rays at Yankees | 7:05 p.m. |
How to watch: What fans need to know
Accessing Prime Video requires an Amazon Prime membership. A standard Prime subscription costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year as of early 2026. Fans can stream on a smart TV, phone, tablet, laptop, or any device with the Prime Video app installed.
If you are not already a Prime member, Amazon typically offers a 30-day free trial for new subscribers. That window could cover a handful of games early in the season.
One important note: the games are geographically restricted. Only fans within the Yankees’ home-market territory will be able to watch. That includes most of New York, Connecticut, northern and central New Jersey, and northeast Pennsylvania. Fans outside that zone will not have access through Prime Video, regardless of their subscription status.
What this means for Yankees fans
The shift to streaming is not new, but it is accelerating. The Yankees had 21 games on Prime Video in 2025 as well, and that number has held steady for 2026. Still, the audience fragmentation remains a sore point.
Traditional cable and satellite subscribers who rely solely on YES Network will miss these games unless they also carry an Amazon Prime membership. Cord-cutters who moved to streaming may find Prime Video more natural. But older fans and those without reliable internet access are the ones most likely to be left out.
Sports bars that want to show the games will need a commercial Prime Video account, which is a separate and more expensive product than a personal subscription. Many establishments have not made that investment, which is why the “every sports bar nightmare” description attached to Amazon’s exclusive deals has stuck.
The Yankees open the 2026 regular season with their first Prime Video broadcast on April 8 against the Athletics. Fans who want to make sure they are ready should confirm their Prime membership or sign up before opening day.
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