After Jason Benetti signed a deal to join FOX Sports, many wondered who would be the play-by-play broadcaster for Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff package. We now know that Brendan Burke has filled those shoes.
Burke — the current television voice of the New York Islanders — has network experience, working NHL broadcasts for both NBC and TNT. His work with TNT will cause him to miss the first several broadcasts of the streaming platform’s package, as the NHL Playoffs commence.
Chicago Blackhawks television voice Chris Vosters is expected to work the MLB games on Peacock while Burke is handling his NHL Playoffs duties for TNT, according to The New York Post.
The 38-year-old has also worked in a fill-in role for John Sterling on New York Yankees radio broadcasts. It is reported that both the franchise and WFAN are high on him as a potential replacement for Sterling, but Burke has previously stated that “At this point, I’m a hockey guy“.
The report also claims NBC had “significant talks” with Baltimore Orioles television play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown for the role, but did not reach an agreement.
In the debut season of the package, Peacock paired Benetti with analysts from the participating teams, and that arrangement is expected to continue for 2023.
