On Tuesday, NBC Sports California announced that Jenny Cavnar would serve as the Oakland Athletics’ primary play-by-play broadcaster in 2024.
The release says that Cavnar, who will be the first female primary play-by-play broadcaster in MLB, will “call a majority” of the team’s games this season.
NBC Sports California welcomes @jennycavnar as A’s play-by-play announcer 🙌
Read more » https://t.co/f8sLuRWNA2 pic.twitter.com/iFMYdh8Kqq
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) February 13, 2024
Over the last 12 years, Cavnar has worked for the Colorado Rockies in a variety of roles, including as a backup play-by-play broadcaster. In 2018, she became the first woman to call play-by-play for an MLB game in over two decades. She was named the Colorado Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association in 2021.
The Rockies currently don’t have a local media home following the shutdown of AT&T Sports Rocky Mountain last fall.
NBC Sports Bay Area and California president and general manager Matt Murphy praised Cavnar in the network’s release.
“Jenny is a very talented announcer with significant experience covering baseball,” said Matt Murphy, President and General Manager of NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area. “She’s been a groundbreaking professional who’s earned the admiration of fans and her peers throughout her career. We’re very excited for her to join our excellent team and lead our A’s coverage starting this season.”
While Cavnar’s hiring answers one question for the A’s in 2024, questions remain about their future. The team is moving to Las Vegas for the 2028 season, but its lease at the Oakland Coliseum ends after 2024. A short-term extension seems unlikely, and the team will be looking for a temporary home before their long-term move to Vegas. But the A’s media rights deal with NBC Sports California necessitates that the team plays its games in the Bay Area, and a short-term move for the franchise could void that deal and deprive it of tens of millions of dollars in rights fees. However, a new short-term deal could be negotiated if the franchise moves to nearby Sacramento before moving on to Vegas.
Given that Las Vegas doesn’t have a regional sports network following the closure of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain and the Vegas Golden Knights’ move to Scripps Sports, the team’s media future looks more unclear than ever.
The A’s play-by-play job on NBC Sports California had been vacant since early last season. Glen Kuiper was fired in May after using a racial slur on the air. The job was filled by Vince Cotroneo and Johnny Doskow after Kuiper’s departure.
