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DeutschOne of MLB's most beloved voices is going to be amplified even more this season.
Detroit Tigers lead broadcaster Jason Benetti is expanding his already expansive portfolio, as he has been tapped by NBC as the play-by-play commentator for its new edition of "Sunday Night Baseball." The network is serving as the new home of "Sunday Night Baseball" after 36 years on ESPN from its inception in 1990.
While Benetti is known as the face of the Tigers booth alongside Andy Dirks, sports fans in general would recognize his voice. He has done college football and basketball games on Fox, along with some NFL. The former voice of the Chicago White Sox, Benetti joined the Tigers for the 2024 season after Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox saw him leave after eight seasons.
Known for his loose commentary style and lighthearted approach to sports, Benetti is a fan-favorite because he sounds like a fan. He will debut Thursday, March 26 when the Diamondbacks play the Dodgers.
Jason Benetti career
Benetti's television career started by hustling out of ESPN. After a smattering of radio gigs, he started to call some college basketball and football games with the network.
In 2016, Benetti joined the White Sox alongside Steve Stone, and became the full-time voice after the retirement of the legendary Hawk Harrelson in 2019. Benetti's free, bantering approach paired with Stone's dry wit and incredible analysis to make the White Sox one of the most popular booths in baseball. In 2023, however, Benetti left the White Sox due to a strained relationship with the front office, specifically Brooks Boyer.
"I had somebody say to me when I asked for more respect – and basically demanded more respect just in the way I was being treated – they said, 'Respect according to normal human beings, or respect according to Jason Benetti?'" Benetti said on the "Sports Media With Richard Deitsch" podcast after he left. "That is one of those things that I say, that’s disqualifying and will be for a long time. I’ll have a relationship, but I don’t want to do that long-term."
Benetti has since worked with the Detroit Tigers as their leading voice, while also calling college basketball, college football and NFL games on Fox. Benetti is likely to call other sports with NBC as well.
Will Jason Benetti still call Tigers games?
Benetti is still expected to call games for the Tigers this season, which will be produced under the MLB Media umbrella after the folding of the FanDuel network.
Jason Benetti statement
In a statement from NBC, Benetti talked about what to expect from the new iteration of "Sunday Night Baseball."
"I am thrilled to be rejoining the NBC Sports family," he said. "Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and the whole team at NBC all have a deep appreciation for live sports. It’s a true honor to be part of the dawn of 'Sunday Night Baseball' at NBC Sports. Each week is going to be a new, unique experience with analysts who all have different viewpoints on the game of baseball."
Benetti is expected to work with a rotation of partners.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Benetti takes over as 'Sunday Night Baseball' lead on NBC