Costas Finally Signs On With MLB Network, Will Leave HBO
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
A move that seemed about a year in the making, will finally go down this afternoon. The MLB Network will announce the hiring of Bob Costas, which will finally fill out their roster. Not only will Costas be a host for the channel, and preside over original programming, he will be going back to his roots by also calling games. Via Darren Rovell at CNBC....
Bob Costas, a 19-time Emmy Award winner and NBC broadcaster, has signed a multi-year contract to join the upstart MLB Network, CNBC has learned, though he will remain at NBC Sports.Good lord, that was a painstaking process to finally bring him on board, but still the best thing the network could have done. Costas will bring a level of notoriety that a new channel needs, and having him call games is just icing on the cake. His first day on the job is February 5th, as the network will show his recent interview with Joe Torre.
The MLB network, which debuted on Jan. 1 as the largest launch in cable history at 50 million homes, will announce the news later today.
Costas will host original programming on the channel and will serve as play-by-play commentator for a select group of regular season games broadcast by the network, which is owned by the league.
"Bob's love for baseball is well documented and very sincere," said his agent Sandy Montag of IMG. "When this opportunity came up, it made a lot of sense. The network's distribution out of the box is strong, the management is strong and the place looks great."
Montag also said the network's geographical location was also a plus. The MLB Network is based in Secaucus, N.J., close to New York, where Costas now lives.
Oh and one more thing. Costas will be leaving HBO, and his show Costas Now, immediately, but will stay with NBC for Football and the Olympics. Here is the quotage from the MLB Network press release....
“In addition to being one of the preeminent sports broadcasters of his generation, Bob also cares very deeply about the game of baseball,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “We’re glad to reunite him with the game he loves most and look forward to the exciting television he and MLB Network will create together in the years to come.”Bob Costas to Join MLB Network But Stay With NBC (CNBC: Sports Biz)
“I’m especially enthused about the type of programming we’ll be able to create at MLB Network, a mix of historical pieces, documentary-style programming, interviews and play-by-play -- all the things I most enjoy, and it’s all baseball,” said Costas.
“Bob showed us all on January 1 how his presence can truly elevate a broadcast, and we plan to tap into his unique abilities and perspective to build more high-caliber programming in the future,” said Tony Petitti, President and Chief Executive Officer of MLB Network. “In addition to the studio show, we’re also looking forward to Bob’s return to the broadcast booth, where he’s been part of so many memorable moments in baseball over the years.”
6 Comments:
I will be warching mlb network in time for the new season and he will bring a degree of credibility to the network along with his years of experience calling baseball for nbc I am in favour of this move
It is about time, and it is about time my cable company got the MLB network.
Costas was at his most awesome on Ken Burns Baseball. You can tell that is his passion. I hope they use him right. I hope he stays there.
I liked Costas Now, so I am kind of sad to see that he will not do that show again.
I liked the Town Hall setting and the segments of the show.
I think its a great move by MLB network to get Costas in the fold. Its going to be fun to listen to Costas do pay-by-pay on baseball telexast agian, like he did in the 80's and mid 90's for NBC.
Personally? The Caribean Series has been a sad foretelling of things to come. Bad angles, repetitive news stories, constant interuption and a serious lack of commercial control.
For instance: Six hours of the same "BLEEPING" (bleeping was not the word I originally had in mind) show??????? Studio 42 was a disaster. To show it eight times in less than twenty-four hours was stupid. MLBNetwork should be ashamed so far.
They have corrupted Bob Costas' "...rythm of the game."
I am not impressed.
I'm glad Costas will still be doing the NFL and Olymics for NBC, but it's obvious he has a special love for baseball and is a great storyteller. I'm also glad he'll keep doing his radio show!