Bob Costas has spent nearly four decades with NBC, making him one of the rocks upon which the network’s sports coverage has been built during that time. Costas has been involved with just about every sports-related thing NBC has done, whether it’s been the Olympics, the NFL, or something that is no longer broadcast by the network like the NBA — for example, Costas was on the call when Michael Jordan hit the shot to seal the 1998 NBA Finals for the Chicago Bulls.
But according to a report by Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the relationship between the two sides might be coming to an end. Costas is signed through 2021 on his current contract with the network, and Marchand writes that Costas’ decision to move on is partly attributed to the current sport upon which NBC focuses.
If a deal can be struck, it would mean finishing Costas’ current multi-million contract three years early as it is goes through 2021, according to a source. The contract calls for exclusivity for NBC, besides the work Costas does for MLB Network.
When contacted, Costas initially declined comment on the talks, saying he couldn’t confirm or deny the discussions. He then relented and went on to say that there were no hard feelings on either side, but with his decision to stop doing the Olympics and with his antipathy toward football, it may be time for a change.
As for what he’d do next, Costas will be 69 by the time his deal is up in 2021 should he decide to see it through, and because he’s Bob Costas, it stands to reason that he’d have his pick of the litter in terms of where he’d end up. He told the Post he’d like to do a show that allows him to have “thoughtful discussions, reasonable commentaries and essays” wherever he goes, and Marchand wrote that both Costas and NBC “are willing to talk about the terms that could lead to a buyout.”
It’d be a little strange seeing Costas create content for, say, an outlet like ESPN or a service like Netflix, as he’s as closely tied to NBC as any sports broadcaster has ever been to a network. But all things must come to an end, and it sounds like we could be on the verge of adding Costas’ tenure with NBC to that list.
(Via New York Post)
