John Keating will conclude his 45-year career in broadcasting when he retires from the business following the Detroit Red Wings season. Keating has been a mainstay on regional broadcasts of Red Wings hockey and Tigers baseball for several decades, working as a host and reporter on various regional sports networks. Although he made the official announcement via social media on Friday morning, he is said to have made this decision over the summer through conversations with his family and bosses.
Keating started his career hosting radio programming in Grand Rapids, Mich. before moving to WZZM-TV as a sports anchor. After five years with the outlet, he worked in Denver, Colo. at KMGH-TV for 12 years where he witnessed seminal moments in local sports, including the first Stanley Cup championship in Colorado Avalanche history. Keating returned to Michigan in 1996 where he started working for Pro-Am Sports System (PASS) and covered two Stanley Cup championships by the Red Wings.
Shortly after FOX Sports acquired regional broadcasting rights for the Tigers and Red Wings, Keating made the transition and has remained with the entity ever since. Both teams currently air games on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, which had previously been branded with naming rights from Bally’s Corporation.
“It was wistful getting through the end of the Tigers season and now that the Red Wings season is ongoing, it just feels like it’s time to share the decision,” Keating said in a statement. “It came down to this: There haven’t been enough sunsets with the family in Grand Haven on the Lake Michigan… So, I shared with Jeff [Byle], that I’d like to get through the Tigers and then the Wings season and then be done. Thus, that’s the deal.”
The Red Wings organization concludes its 2024-25 regular season on April 17 when the team faces the Toronto Maple Leafs from Scotiabank Arena. Three days earlier, the team hosts the Dallas Stars in the final home game of the regular season from Little Caesars Arena. In his message on social media, Keating explained that his boss, Jeff Byle, informed him that he had earned the right to tell them when he wants to be done on the air. Throughout his career in Detroit, Keating has covered four Stanley Cup championships for the Red Wings, an NBA championship for the Pistons and two World Series appearances by the Tigers.
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