After nearly 30 years, and eleven Olympic Games, veteran sports broadcaster Bob Costas will be stepping down from his duties as NBC's anchor and host for future Olympics coverage. Costas, 64, has covered more Olympic Games, beginning in Barcelona in 1992, than anyone else ever has and will be replaced by Mike Tirico. Tirico came to NBC last year after nearly 25 years at ESPN.
Costas said of the move that, "It’s always better when they leave the decision to you. It’s better to leave before they start to drop hints like, 'Do you think it might be a good idea? Are you getting tired yet, can we help you up the steps, or do you need another cup of Ovaltine, sir?' I didn’t want it to get to that point. So this was entirely on my terms, and I like it that way."
Costas wanted to step back from the grueling duties of covering an Olympic Games while he said he still had the energy to do so. He stated that he is not retiring but will be cutting back to pursue other interests. He will be taking on an evolving emeritus role for NBC Sports but will no longer be hosting NBC's Football Night in America. He will, however, continue to cover Major League Baseball as well as horse racing's three Triple Crown races and he will also host next year's Super Bowl 52.
NBC Sports will continue to broadcast the Olympics from 2021-2032 as they bought the rights to do so for $7.65 billion from the International Olympic Committee. The coverage of the Games has still been popular for NBC Sports despite the scandals surrounding the Games and around the athletes who are taking performance enhancing drugs.
Costas, commenting on the recent doping scandals, said that, "The recent Russia doping scandal was so pervasive and not, like so many others the result of individuals with rogue chemists, but was a sophisticated government-run and approved doping program that spread over a number of Olympics, including one which Russia itself hosted (in Sochi in 2014). If [the IOC is] not going to get serious about that with lifetime bans and even more comprehensive testing and with the possibility of taking international events — be they Olympics or World Championships — away from potentially offending world nations, and I’m talking about you, Russia, in this case, then they might as well wave the white flag."LIVE PRODUCTION2 min read
Bob Costas Stepping Down As NBC Sports' Olympic Games Coverage Host
Broadcast Beat
Contributor
After nearly 30 years, and eleven Olympic Games, veteran sports broadcaster Bob Costas will be stepping down from his duties as NBC's anchor and host for future Olympics coverage. Costas, 64, has covered more Olympic Games, beginning in Barcelona in 1992, than anyone else ever has and will be replaced by Mike Tirico. Tirico came to NBC last year after nearly 25 years at ESPN.
Costas said of the move that, "It’s always better when they leave the decision to you. It’s better to leave before they start to drop hints like, 'Do you think it might be a good idea? Are you getting tired yet, can we help you up the steps, or do you need another cup of Ovaltine, sir?' I didn’t want it to get to that point. So this was entirely on my terms, and I like it that way."
Costas wanted to step back from the grueling duties of covering an Olympic Games while he said he still had the energy to do so. He stated that he is not retiring but will be cutting back to pursue other interests. He will be taking on an evolving emeritus role for NBC Sports but will no longer be hosting NBC's Football Night in America. He will, however, continue to cover Major League Baseball as well as horse racing's three Triple Crown races and he will also host next year's Super Bowl 52.
NBC Sports will continue to broadcast the Olympics from 2021-2032 as they bought the rights to do so for $7.65 billion from the International Olympic Committee. The coverage of the Games has still been popular for NBC Sports despite the scandals surrounding the Games and around the athletes who are taking performance enhancing drugs.
Costas, commenting on the recent doping scandals, said that, "The recent Russia doping scandal was so pervasive and not, like so many others the result of individuals with rogue chemists, but was a sophisticated government-run and approved doping program that spread over a number of Olympics, including one which Russia itself hosted (in Sochi in 2014). If [the IOC is] not going to get serious about that with lifetime bans and even more comprehensive testing and with the possibility of taking international events — be they Olympics or World Championships — away from potentially offending world nations, and I’m talking about you, Russia, in this case, then they might as well wave the white flag."Found this article useful?