The Tigers have kept the sound of their ballpark together for the long haul, signing television play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and radio lead Dan Dickerson to multiyear extensions. Benetti will remain the club’s primary TV voice on Detroit SportsNet, while Dickerson stays at the front of the Tigers Radio Network and takes on more television assignments.
For a franchise that has made its broadcast presentation a priority, the agreements secure two very different but complementary voices. Benetti brings a quick wit and national profile to the television booth; Dickerson remains the familiar call that has followed generations of Detroit fans through summer nights.
Quick facts
- Jason Benetti joined Detroit as its lead television announcer before the 2024 season.
- Dan Dickerson began calling Tigers games in 2000 and became the primary radio voice in 2003.
- Dickerson’s most recent season was his 27th in the Tigers radio booth.
- He will continue on radio while expanding his Detroit SportsNet television schedule.
- Benetti also holds network work with NBC Sports, including Sunday Night Baseball duties.
Ryan Gustafson, president and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, said the club is proud to retain both broadcasters and appreciates their deeper commitment to the organization. He said Detroit set out several years ago to strengthen the way it connects with fans, with a high-level broadcast team central to that effort.
Benetti has rapidly become a popular figure in Detroit since arriving before the 2024 campaign. His work combines sharp observation with humor, and his expanding national workload has only raised the need for capable coverage when he is away on network assignments.
“Thank you to Chris Ilitch, Ryan Gustafson and everyone with the Tigers for being such amazing partners as we’ve grown this broadcast together,” Benetti said. He called the organization’s blend of high standards and creativity unusual, praised the Detroit SportsNet crew, and said he expects “the best is yet to come.”
Dickerson’s willingness to move beyond his preferred radio role helped make Benetti’s arrival possible. The Tigers needed a trusted broadcaster to handle TV games when Benetti’s national commitments called, and Dickerson agreed to do it, giving the club a steady hand in either booth.
His new deal pushes his Tigers connection into a fourth decade. Dickerson started beside Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell in 2000, then succeeded Harwell as Detroit’s lead radio voice three years later.
A three-time Michigan Sportscaster of the Year, Dickerson also has received the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association’s Ernie Harwell Lifetime Achievement Award. But his standing around the club has been built as much on his presence as a colleague as on the call itself.
“I have the best job in the world,” Dickerson said. “There is nothing better than calling games for the team you grew up watching.” He said the Tigers have been part of him since childhood and that the first pitch still brings an adrenaline rush, adding that working around the club and its fans remains beyond anything he imagined.
