The return of Bob Costas to NBC Sports will extend beyond this season.
Costas’ return, announced Thursday, will not be a “one and done,” NBC Sports president Sam Flood said in a conference call with reporters. Costas himself added that for “at least the first year,” he will be “prominently involved” in NBC’s Major League Baseball coverage in a role that he said was “specifically crafted” for him. Costas: “Beyond that, we’ll see what happens. But I think I’ll be a contributor. As long as I’m upright and haven’t lost my fastball completely, I’ll be a contributor as long as I have something to contribute.”
NBC owns rights to Major League Baseball for three seasons starting this year, though one of those is a 2027 season that may be imperiled by a work stoppage.
Costas added more detail about his new role, which he said is an “emeritus” position that was originally conceived during his 2012 contract negotiations. He stressed that he is working on a role for NBC that will not “duplicate or get in the way of what others rightly do” — describing himself as “an icing on the cake guy now, a contributor, a role player,” compared to those who are “in the prime of their careers.”
But as NBC has aired baseball only sporadically since the end of its initial run in 1989, there are not many current employees at the network who would be conceivably displaced by his return. Ahmed Fareed served as the on-site studio host for the Peacock-exclusive “MLB Sunday Leadoff” package in 2022 and 2023 and Brendan Burke was the play-by-play voice on that package in the second year.
Costas will also serve as a contributor to NBC’s NBA coverage, NBC announced earlier Thursday, with additional details to be announced.
Costas’ return to NBC comes seven years after his quiet exit from the company amidst disagreements over his commentary about the NFL and International Olympic Committee. In an interview on the Sports Media Watch Podcast last year, Costas expressed his desire for a more suitable ending to his NBC career. Asked if his new role would qualify, he answered in the affirmative.
“I think so, and what’s gratifying is, I wasn’t the only one who had that idea. Sam, [NBC Sports president] Rick Cordella, lots of people in this building as we sit here now at NBC, lots of people had that idea. And the way it’s set-up now, I think is the proper path to that. As I’ve said, I don’t need a brass band and a parade, but if we could do some good work, have some fun, and it feels like the right concluding chapter, I think everybody will be gratified by that.”
