Bob Costas is coming back to NBC Sports, nearly six years after stepping away from the network where he made his name.
NBC announced Thursday that Costas will host the pregame show for Sunday Night Baseball when the network’s primetime MLB package kicks off in March. He’ll begin with NBC’s Opening Day broadcast on March 26, when the Los Angeles Dodgers raise their World Series banner against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In a statement, Costas called NBC his “true broadcasting home” for 40 years and expressed gratitude to NBC Sports president Rick Cordella and NBC Sports production chief Sam Flood for bringing him back into the fold. He previously worked NBC’s MLB coverage from 1982–89 and again from 1994–2000, teaming with Tony Kubek on Game of the Week broadcasts and calling multiple World Series, including the full 1997 and 1999 Fall Classics.
He left NBC in 2019 and officially stepped away from play-by-play after calling TBS’ ALDS coverage in 2024.
“As appreciative as I am of other aspects of my career, especially HBO and the MLB Network, for 40 years, my true broadcasting home was NBC,” Costas said. “So many great moments, memories, and friendships. Now, I am very grateful to Rick Cordella and Sam Flood for inviting me back in an emeritus role to conclude my career where so much of it played out.”
Cordella cited Costas’ long history with both baseball and the network as the main reason for the return, describing the role as an “emeritus” assignment as Costas winds down his broadcasting career.
“We’re excited that Bob has agreed to come home to NBC Sports, where he helped make baseball an iconic brand earlier in his career for so many years,” added the NBC Sports president. “There is no more knowledgeable, authoritative, and passionate voice on baseball than Bob Costas.”
NBC has not yet announced its full Sunday Night Baseball booth. Fox’s Jason Benetti has emerged as the leading candidate for the play-by-play role, with Orioles TV voice Kevin Brown also reportedly in consideration. The network is also reportedly targeting recently retired Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for select studio appearances.
Bob Costas has already contributed to NBC’s NBA coverage this season, narrating opens for multiple games after the league returned to the network in October.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.