Veteran broadcaster Bob Costas is set to make a highly anticipated return to NBC, where he will host the network's Sunday Night Baseball pre-game show. His first assignment will be the season opener on Thursday, March 26, featuring the two-time defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
NBC Sports President Rick Cordella emphasised the significance of Costas's return, stating: “We're trying to make ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ feel big. There's no bigger name associated with baseball than Bob and also great to have him back in the NBC fold.” Cordella added that bringing Costas back “as he sort of winds down his career is the right thing to do.”
Costas, who spent 39 years with NBC before departing in 2019, expressed his gratitude in a statement: “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. 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.”
A 29-time Sports Emmy winner, Costas hosted 12 Olympic Games, 11 as primetime anchor, and seven Super Bowls for NBC, alongside roles in 10 NBA Finals and seven World Series. He called baseball for NBC from 1982–89 and again from 1994–2000, including the 1995 World Series and play-by-play for the 1997 and 1999 Fall Classics.
Costas has also worked for TBS and the MLB Network, where he has been a fixture since its inception in 2009 and received the Hall's Ford C. Frick Award in 2018. He recently retired from play-by-play duties after the 2024 AL Division Series between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees. Costas is already contributing to NBC's NBA coverage this season, narrating opening teases, with further details to be announced.
