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Legendary Sports Announcer Bob Costas Lands Prestigious Job

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 11:11 AM ET

It's been nearly nine years since the legendary Bob Costas first announced the end of his tenure at NBC Sports after nearly four decades at the network. But absence makes the heart grow fonder and the two sides are close to a reunion.

According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Costas is set to return to NBC Sports as the host of their Sunday Night Baseball pregame show. NBC got the rights to the long-running baseball pregame show ahead of the 2026 season and clearly wanted to bring it back with a bang.

"Bob Costas is returning to NBC Sports to host the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show. Costas previously served as a host and play-by-play announcer for NBC's MLB coverage for 15 seasons in the 80's and 90's," McCarthy wrote.

Bob Costas is returning to NBC Sports to host the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show.

Costas previously served as a host and play-by-play announcer for NBC's MLB coverage for 15 seasons in the 80's and 90's. pic.twitter.com/y1v3QGwTCM
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) January 22, 2026

Costas & Baseball

As McCarthy indicated, Costas has a very long relationship with Major League Baseball, covering baseball telecasts for decades at NBC.

Costas announced in 2024 that he would be retiring from play-by-play work on baseball games after 44 years. His last play-by-play game was the 2024 American League Division Series game between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals.

But studio work still seems well within his wheelhouse.

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 25: GSLD Master of Ceremonies Bob Costas speaks onstage during the 32nd Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner To Benefit The Miami Project/Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis at New York Hilton Midtown on September 25, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis )

Costas is one of the most accomplished and influential sports broadcasters in American television history, with a career spanning more than four decades. He rose to prominence at NBC Sports beginning in the early 1980s, where he became the network’s signature voice for major events, including Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA, and college basketball. He was particularly associated with baseball, calling numerous World Series.

Costas is perhaps best known as the longtime primetime host of the Olympic Games, anchoring NBC’s coverage of 12 Olympics between 1992 and 2016. After leaving NBC, Costas continued his career with HBO, hosting On the Record, and later with MLB Network and other outlets. He is a multiple-time Emmy winner.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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