Keith Olberman is adding to his responsibilities with ESPN. In his sixth tenure with the Worldwide Leader, Olbermann will see an expanded presence on the sports network in the coming months.
ESPN announced Friday that the former SportsCenter and ESPN2 figure will get time on additional programs and even broadcast some Major League Baseball games later this summer. Olbermann had already been appearing on the network since January, but now it seems his duties on air are expanding in a few different ways.
He will even get a chance to call baseball games on ESPN Radio, including a play-by-play opportunity on Memorial Day when the Yankees host the Astros on Monday. According to ESPN, Olbermann will also host at least 20 SportsCenter broadcasts in the 11 p.m. spot while developing special features and other pieces for other SportsCenter broadcasts.
Olbermann’s new agreement with ESPN includes additional MLB work as well, including play-by-play opportunities and appearances on Baseball Tonight. He’s expected to work the MLB All-Star Game and will cover the baseball postseason, too. And, of course, Olbermann will be on ESPN’s “embrace debate” shows like Pardon the Interruption and Outside the Lines.
“Keith’s smart, creative perspective on the world of sports always informs and entertains fans,” ESPN executive vice president Norby Williamson said in a release. “His varied collection of ESPN appearances over the last several months has provided a great model for utilizing his distinctive voice and this new agreement will extend his contributions even further.”
Olbermann seems excited about the expanded role as well.
“Since we started this, my 6th separate tenure with ESPN, in January, I’ve found the variety of assignments to be most the fun and energizing of all my stints,” he said. “Adding stuff like being a rookie 59-year old play-by-play guy, plus the Rip Van Winkle of SportsCenter, only adds to the smorgasbord. Can’t wait, and at my age, I shouldn’t.”
Adding to Olbermann’s duties will do nothing to quell the rumble that ESPN is a liberal company with left-leaning politics, but Olbermann’s been an important part of the network’s history and evolution, and he’s certainly proven versatile in his latest stint at the worldwide leader.
