Dan Dickerson’s voice is summer. Honestly, for anyone who grew up in Michigan or follows the Old English D from afar, that rhythmic, slightly raspy play-by-play is more essential than the actual video broadcast. There is something about baseball on the radio that just works. It’s the crack of the bat, the crowd noise swelling in the background, and the way Dickerson paints a picture of a 3-2 count with two outs in the ninth. If you're looking for a Detroit Tigers live radio feed, you aren't just looking for a score. You're looking for a specific vibe that TV simply cannot replicate.
But finding that feed? It's gotten weirdly complicated lately.
Years ago, you just turned a dial to 760 AM and called it a day. Now, between digital blackouts, streaming rights, and various apps, you might find yourself staring at a "content unavailable" screen while the Tigers are putting up a four-spot in the first inning. It’s frustrating.
The WJR 760 AM Legacy and the New Reality
For the longest time, WJR was the king. If you were within 500 miles of Detroit at night, you could probably pick up the signal. Nowadays, the Detroit Tigers live radio feed primarily lives on 97.1 The Ticket (WXYT-FM) in the local Detroit market. This is the flagship station. Audacy owns it, and they guard that digital stream like it’s the gold in Fort Knox.
Here is the thing most people get wrong: just because a station is "The Home of the Tigers" doesn't mean their website will let you listen for free if you aren't in the zip code.
If you live in Grand Rapids, Toledo, or Traverse City, you’re looking at a massive network of affiliate stations. We’re talking over 50 stations across Michigan and parts of Ohio and Indiana. The "Tigers Radio Network" is one of the biggest in the MLB. But geography matters. If you try to stream the 97.1 feed through a generic radio app like TuneIn while sitting in a Chicago apartment, you’re going to get a loop of sports talk or dead air. MLB's broadcast rights are notoriously strict. They want you to pay for the "premium" experience.
Breaking Down the Digital Blackout Loophole
Let's talk about the MLB app. It’s basically the only 100% reliable way to get the Detroit Tigers live radio feed if you are outside the broadcast range of a physical antenna. It costs a few bucks a month—usually around $20 or $30 for the whole season—but it’s the only legal stream that doesn't care where you are located.
🔗 Read more: The Philadelphia Phillies Boston Red Sox Rivalry: Why This Interleague Matchup Always Feels Personal
Why does this matter? Because of the "At Bat" feature.
Most fans think they need the full MLB.TV subscription (the expensive one with the video) just to hear the radio. You don't. You can subscribe to the audio-only tier. It’s a lifesaver for people who work late or spend their evenings gardening. You get the home feed (Dickerson and Jim Price—though Price’s legendary "art of pitching" insights are deeply missed since his passing, the booth continues his legacy of deep technical analysis) and the away feed if you want to hear what the opposition is saying.
Why Radio Still Matters in the Age of 4K
Why even bother with a Detroit Tigers live radio feed when you could just check Twitter or watch highlights on your phone?
Depth.
Radio announcers have to fill every second with descriptive detail. You learn that Riley Greene is shading slightly toward right-center. You hear about the humidity at Comerica Park and how the ball isn't carrying. You get the stories. Baseball is a game of downtime, and radio filled that downtime with lore. When you listen to a Tigers game, you’re participating in a tradition that stretches back to Ty Cobb, even if the technology has shifted from vacuum tubes to 5G.
There is also the "delay" factor. If you’re at the ballpark, you’ll notice some fans still carry actual transistor radios. Why? Because the digital stream on your phone is usually 30 to 60 seconds behind the actual action. If you hear a roar from the crowd, you want to know what happened now, not a minute from now. An over-the-air AM/FM signal is instantaneous.
💡 You might also like: The Eagles and Chiefs Score That Changed Everything for Philadelphia and Kansas City
The Affiliate Map: Where to Tune In
If you are driving through the state, you need to know the hand-offs. You start in Detroit on 97.1 FM. As you hit Flint, you might need to flip to 1470 AM. By the time you get to the thumb, it’s 1110 AM in Caro. Heading North? 101.1 FM in Traverse City has you covered.
It’s a patchwork quilt of frequencies.
- Detroit: 97.1 FM / 1270 AM
- Grand Rapids: 96.1 FM
- Lansing: 1240 AM / 95.9 FM
- Saginaw: 1250 AM
- Toledo: 1370 AM
The quality varies. Sometimes you’re fighting static from a thunderstorm over Lake Michigan. Sometimes the signal fades as you go under an overpass. But that’s part of the charm, isn't it? It feels real. It feels like baseball.
Common Tech Issues and How to Fix Them
You’ve opened the app. You’ve clicked the play button. Nothing.
First, check your location services. Most "free" radio apps use your IP address to see if you’re in a blackout zone. If you have a VPN on, turn it off. The Tigers broadcast rights are tied to specific territories. If the app thinks you’re in London, it might block the feed to protect international rights holders.
Second, if you are using a smart speaker like an Alexa or Google Home, don't just say "Play the Detroit Tigers game." That usually fails. Instead, ask it to "Play WXYT on Audacy." If you have the MLB skill enabled, you can say "Ask MLB to play the Tigers." It’s a small distinction, but it saves you five minutes of yelling at a plastic cylinder while the lead-off hitter is already at second base.
📖 Related: The Detroit Lions Game Recap That Proves This Team Is Different
The Secret Value of the "Spanish Feed"
Occasionally, the Tigers offer a Spanish-language broadcast. Even if you don't speak the language fluently, the energy is infectious. The "home run" calls are legendary. It’s a different way to experience the Detroit Tigers live radio feed and it highlights just how global the game has become. Players like Javier Báez or the young prospects coming up through the system have huge fanbases that tune into these specific broadcasts.
What to Do When the Game is Over
The radio feed doesn't stop at the final out. The post-game show is where the real venting happens. If the Tigers blew a lead in the eighth, the call-in lines on 97.1 are pure theater. It’s a mix of die-hard experts and "the sky is falling" fans who think the manager should be fired after every loss.
Listening to the post-game feed gives you a pulse on the city. You hear the frustrations of the fans in Macomb County and the optimism of the folks in Ann Arbor. It’s a community.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game Day
If you want the best experience for the next Tigers game, follow this checklist:
- Check your location: If you are in the Detroit metro area, get a cheap portable FM radio. The zero-latency experience is vastly superior to any app.
- Download the Audacy app: This is the official home for the flagship stream. It’s free, but it only works if you are within the geographic broadcast region.
- Invest in MLB At Bat: For less than the price of a ballpark hot dog and a beer, you get the entire season’s audio. This is the "fail-safe" option for travelers and out-of-state fans.
- Sync the audio: If you are watching on a TV stream that is muted, try to sync the radio feed. It’s tricky because of the delay, but if you can pause your TV for a few seconds to let the radio catch up, Dickerson’s commentary is ten times better than the national TV crews.
- Bookmark the Affiliate List: Keep a screenshot of the Michigan Radio Network map on your phone for road trips up north.
The Detroit Tigers live radio feed is more than just data. It’s the soundtrack to a Michigan summer. Whether you’re on a boat in Lake St. Clair or stuck in traffic on I-75, as long as you can find that signal, you’re home. Turn it up, listen for the crack of the bat, and enjoy the game.
To ensure you never miss a pitch, verify your local affiliate's frequency before the 1:10 PM first pitch, especially during Sunday afternoon games when programming schedules can shift for local interest. If you are using digital streaming, always start the app five minutes early to clear any mandatory advertisements that might delay your access to the live play-by-play. For those in rural areas of the Upper Peninsula, prioritize AM frequencies during the evening as the signal carries significantly further after sunset due to atmospheric refraction.