NBC hires former White Sox TV voice Jason Benetti to call 'Sunday Night Baseball'

NBC Sports announced Wednesday that former White Sox TV voice Jason Benetti will call play-by-play for its new "Sunday Night Baseball" package.

Benetti left the Sox for the Tigers in 2023 after eight seasons — with a year remaining on his contract — because of a contentious relationship with senior vice president and chief revenue and marketing officer Brooks Boyer. Having grown up as a Sox fan in south suburban Homewood, Benetti became a fan favorite for his humor and wit. But his national obligations with Fox Sports became an issue for the Sox, who also had soured on his style.

Benetti, who will remain with the Tigers, is returning to NBC, where he was the first voice of Peacock's "MLB Sunday Leadoff" package and called baseball in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. His first "SNB" broadcast will be Thursday, March 26, when the World Series champion Dodgers will raise their banner before hosting the Diamondbacks.

“I am thrilled to be rejoining the NBC Sports family,” said Benetti, who has been with Fox since 2022, calling MLB, NFL and college football and basketball games. “[NBC Sports president] Rick Cordella, [executive producer] 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 will be joined each week by different analysts connected to each participating team, the same setup NBC used for its initial "MLB Sunday Leadoff" broadcasts.

“After Jason finished the 2022 baseball season with us, we told him that if we ever got MLB back, he’d be our first call,” Flood said. “Jason is one of the best play-by-play announcers in the business, and we’re thrilled to have him back on a full-time basis with NBC Sports, beginning with 'Sunday Night Baseball.' ”

The move follows another with a Chicago connection. Last month, NBC Sports announced that former Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and retired stars Clayton Kershaw and Joey Votto will appear as pregame analysts on select regular-season "SNB" and all postseason broadcasts.

NBC's first game is Pirates-Mets at noon March 26. Diamondbacks-Dodgers follows at 7.