Jason Benetti gets tabbed by new NBC broadcast, but Tigers fans shouldn’t worry

When Jason Benetti left Chicago for Detroit before the 2024 season, the Detroit Tigers gained one of the most respected storytellers in baseball. Now, the rest of the sport is catching up.

According to reports, Benetti has been selected as the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports as the network returns to Major League Baseball coverage for the first time in 25 years. His first assignment will come March 26 when the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks in NBC’s high-profile return broadcast.

For Tigers fans, the immediate reaction might be simple: Wait… are we about to lose him?

Mercifully, the answer is no. And if anything, this development should reassure Detroit fans rather than alarm them.

Benetti’s rise to NBC’s No. 1 baseball booth isn’t surprising. Few broadcasters combine humor, preparation, storytelling and genuine enthusiasm for the game the way he does. Over the past decade, he has become one of the most respected voices in sports broadcasting — a reputation that stretches well beyond baseball.

Before arriving in Detroit, Benetti built his reputation calling games for the Chicago White Sox while also working nationally for college football, basketball and Olympic broadcasts. In many ways, this move simply formalizes something executives have already believed: Benetti is a big-stage broadcaster.

Tigers fans will get to hear Detroit's voice, Jason Benetti, on baseball's biggest stage

The key point for Detroit fans is that Benetti's primary job isn't changing. He remains the lead play-by-play voice of the Tigers and the face of the club’s broadcasts on the new Detroit SportsNet platform.

National assignments like NBC’s Sunday night games typically occur once per week, leaving plenty of room for a broadcaster to continue handling the majority of a team’s local schedule. In fact, this dual role is extremely common across the industry.

Some of baseball’s most beloved announcers have balanced national and local duties for years. The arrangement actually tends to enhance a local broadcast, bringing a wider perspective and additional storytelling into the booth. And for the Tigers organization, having their lead voice represent the club on national television is a win.

There’s also something uniquely fitting about Benetti becoming NBC’s lead MLB voice right now. The Tigers are entering what many believe could be a turning point era — built around stars like Tarik Skubal and a rising wave of prospects including Kevin McGonigle.

If Detroit’s rebuild continues trending upward, the team could soon find itself on more national broadcasts. Having Benetti as both the Tigers’ narrator and NBC’s lead voice creates a natural bridge between Detroit and the national audience.

In other words, Tigers fans aren’t losing their announcer. They’re simply sharing him with the rest of baseball.

NBC’s return to MLB coverage — its first since the late 1990s — is built around star power. The network’s broadcast team includes former players like Joey Votto, Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Rizzo as studio analysts, with legendary broadcaster Bob Costas hosting. But every great broadcast starts with the voice guiding viewers through the game — and for NBC, that voice is Benetti.

As for Tigers fans, they should take that as confirmation of something they already knew: Detroit has one of the best broadcasters in baseball.