Bob Costas is one of the most recognizable voices in American sports broadcasting. For decades, his calm delivery, detailed knowledge and thoughtful interviews have made him a familiar name to sports fans across the United States
He has covered some of the biggest sporting events in television history and has built a career that extends far beyond traditional play-by-play broadcasting.
Costas became especially well known through his long association with NBC Sports.
He hosted NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage from 1992 through 2016 and became closely associated with the network’s coverage of baseball, basketball, football and other major sporting events.
His career also includes work in television interviews, radio and sports documentaries.
In recent years, Bob Costas has remained active even after stepping away from regular baseball play-by-play.
His name continues to appear in sports coverage because of his work with MLB Network and his return to NBC Sports.
In September 2026, he appeared on MLB Now to discuss broadcasters who were retiring from the profession.
So what is Bob Costas doing now? While he is no longer working as a regular baseball play-by-play announcer, he remains an active broadcaster, interviewer and baseball commentator.
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Who Is Bob Costas?
Bob Costas is an American sportscaster and television broadcaster known for his work across baseball, basketball, football and the Olympic Games.
His full name is Robert Quinlan Costas. He was born on March 22, 1952, in Queens, New York.
He later attended Syracuse University, where he studied communications and began developing his broadcasting career.
Costas began working professionally in broadcasting in the 1970s. His early career included radio work with the Syracuse Blazers of the Eastern Hockey League and later the Spirit of St. Louis of the American Basketball Association.
His ability to describe sports clearly and his distinctive interview style helped him move into larger broadcasting roles. He eventually joined NBC and became one of the network’s most important sports personalities.
Over the course of his career, Costas has covered the Olympics, Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL, horse racing and golf.
He has also hosted interview programs and worked on sports documentaries. His career is particularly associated with the Olympics.
He served as NBC’s primetime Olympic host for every Olympics on the network from 1992 through 2016. MLB Network notes that this included 11 Olympic Games and made Costas one of the defining television personalities associated with American Olympic coverage during that period.
Congratulations #Ichiro on 3,000. One can only imagine what could have been with an earlier move to MLB. . . #Ichiro3000
— Bob Costas (@realbobcostas) August 8, 2016
Early Broadcasting Career
Bob Costas did not begin his career as a national television celebrity. Like many broadcasters, he started with smaller assignments and gradually built his reputation.
While studying at Syracuse University, Costas became involved in sports broadcasting. His first professional broadcasting experience came in 1973 at WSYR in Syracuse.
He later became the radio voice of the Syracuse Blazers. At only 22 years old, he was selected to broadcast games for the Spirit of St. Louis in the ABA.
That opportunity gave Costas valuable experience and helped him establish himself as a young broadcaster with a distinctive voice. He later worked for CBS Sports before joining NBC in 1980.
His early NBC assignments included baseball, basketball and football. The network became the most important professional home of his career.
Quick Profile
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Robert Quinlan Costas |
| Known As | Bob Costas |
| Date of Birth | March 22, 1952 |
| Birthplace | Queens, New York, United States |
| Profession | Sportscaster, broadcaster and interviewer |
| Education | Syracuse University |
| Broadcasting Career Began | 1973 |
| NBC Career | Nearly four decades |
| MLB Network | Original network personality since 2009 |
| Olympic Role | NBC primetime host from 1992 to 2016 |
| Baseball Play-by-Play | More than four decades |
| Baseball Play-by-Play Retirement | 2024 |
| Ford C. Frick Award | 2018 |
| Emmy Awards | 29-time Emmy winner according to MLB Network |
| 2025 Recognition | Baseball Digest Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2026 NBC Role | Sunday Night Baseball pregame host |
| Current MLB Role | Host and contributor |
Bob Costas and NBC Sports
Costas spent nearly four decades with NBC and became one of the network’s best-known sports personalities. His NBC career included an unusually broad range of assignments.
He was not limited to one sport or one type of broadcasting. He covered Major League Baseball and eventually became one of the network’s leading baseball voices.
He also worked on the NBA and NFL and hosted major events such as the Triple Crown horse races and the U.S. Open golf championship. Costas also hosted NBC’s Football Night in America from 2006 through 2016.
His work with the Olympics became an especially important part of his legacy. He was the network’s primetime Olympic host from 1992 to 2016.
His Olympic career included some of the most memorable sporting moments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Costas became known for introducing events with detailed background information and for conducting interviews with athletes and other major figures.
His broadcasting style often combined sports knowledge with historical and cultural context.
Bob Costas and Baseball
Baseball has always been one of Costas’ strongest professional interests. He worked as a baseball broadcaster for NBC during the 1980s and again during the 1990s.
He hosted four World Series for NBC in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988 and later called World Series games in 1995, 1997 and 1999.
MLB Network also credits him with numerous All-Star Game and League Championship Series assignments. From 1982 through 1989, Costas and Tony Kubek became a well-known broadcasting team on NBC’s Game of the Week.
His relationship with baseball continued long after NBC’s original baseball package ended. Costas joined MLB Network when the network launched in 2009.
He became one of its original personalities and has worked on a variety of programs and special events. His MLB Network work has included interviews, documentaries, studio programs and major baseball coverage.
He also co-hosted The Sounds of Baseball with Tom Verducci. The program looks at some of the most important voices in baseball broadcasting history.
Costas has interviewed many legendary baseball figures during his career. His interview subjects have included Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and many other prominent figures from the sport.
Bob Costas and the Olympics
For many American viewers, Bob Costas is closely connected with the Olympic Games. He became NBC’s primetime Olympic host beginning with the 1992 Games.
He continued in that position through the 2016 Olympics. During that period, Costas became a familiar presence during both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
His role involved much more than introducing events. He conducted interviews with athletes, provided commentary and helped explain the significance of major Olympic moments to television audiences.
His Olympic work helped establish him as one of the most recognizable American sports broadcasters of his generation.
Bob Costas as an Interviewer
Another important part of Costas’ career is interviewing. His interview style is generally based on preparation and detailed questions.
He 11has interviewed athletes, coaches, entertainers, executives and public figures. His interview work also expanded beyond sports.
Costas hosted Later with Bob Costas, a late-night interview program on NBC from 1988 to 1994. He later worked on HBO programs and other interview projects.
At MLB Network, his interviews have included some of baseball’s biggest names. His ability to move between sports and popular culture has been one of the defining features of his career.
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Bob Costas’ Work Beyond Sports
Although Costas is best known as a sports broadcaster, his interests have never been limited to sports. He has hosted interview programs involving actors, filmmakers and other entertainers.
His MLB Network series Costas at the Movies featured conversations with people from Hollywood. According to MLB Network, guests included Billy Crystal, Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Jonah Hill, Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Pitt.
Costas has also contributed to documentaries and other long-form projects. His writing has included Fair Ball: A Fan’s Case for Baseball, which became a New York Times bestseller in 2000.
These projects show why Costas has remained relevant even as the sports media landscape has changed.
Bob Costas’ Broadcasting Style
Costas is known for a broadcasting style that emphasizes preparation, storytelling and context.
Instead of simply describing what is happening during a sporting event, he often places the event within a larger historical or cultural story.
His approach has made him especially effective in major-event broadcasting.
This style also helps explain why networks continue to use him for studio programs and interviews even after he stopped doing regular baseball play-by-play.
His career has moved from traditional game calling toward hosting, interviews and analysis.
What Is Bob Costas Doing Now?
This is one of the biggest reasons Bob Costas is appearing in current searches. Costas stepped away from regular baseball play-by-play in 2024 after a 42-year career calling baseball games.
The Associated Press reported that his final baseball broadcasts came during the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.
However, retiring from regular play-by-play did not mean Costas completely retired from broadcasting. In January 2026, NBC announced that Costas was returning to NBC Sports to host the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show.
The new NBC baseball package began with the Dodgers hosting the Diamondbacks on March 26, 2026.
This role allows Costas to continue doing what he has done throughout much of his career: interviewing baseball figures, providing context around games and discussing the sport from a broader perspective.
Costas also remains a host and contributor for MLB Network. The network describes him as a host and contributor and continues to use him for special coverage and baseball-related programming.
His September 2026 appearance on MLB Now is another example of his continuing involvement in baseball media. During the appearance, Costas discussed broadcasters who were retiring in 2026.
Therefore, the simplest answer to the question “What is Bob Costas doing now?” is that he remains professionally active in sports broadcasting.
He is no longer a regular baseball play-by-play announcer but he continues to appear on MLB Network and has returned to NBC Sports as a Sunday Night Baseball pregame host.
Why Is Bob Costas Trending Again?
Bob Costas has remained a familiar name for American sports fans but his 2026 return to NBC Sports has given his career a fresh point of interest.
His return is also notable because he is working in a different capacity from the role many viewers remember.
Rather than returning as a full-time baseball play-by-play announcer, Costas is hosting the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show.
This makes the current period an interesting chapter in his career. He has moved away from the demands of calling a full schedule of games while continuing to contribute his experience and perspective to major baseball broadcasts.
His ongoing appearances on MLB Network also keep him visible to baseball audiences. For longtime viewers, his return may bring back memories of his years covering baseball and the Olympics.
For younger viewers, it offers an opportunity to become familiar with one of the most decorated broadcasters in American sports television.
Bob Costas’ Awards and Achievements
Costas has received numerous awards during his career.
MLB Network identifies him as a 29-time Emmy Award winner. He also received the Ford C. Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 for his contributions to baseball broadcasting.
In 2025, Costas received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Baseball Digest. The honor recognized his long career and contributions to baseball through play-by-play, interviews, essays and documentary work.
He also received the National Press Foundation’s Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.
The award recognized his work and career in broadcast journalism. His awards reflect the unusual range of his career.
Costas has not simply been a play-by-play announcer. He has worked as a host, interviewer, commentator and writer.
How Long Has Bob Costas Been Broadcasting?
Bob Costas began his professional broadcasting career in 1973. That means his career has extended for more than five decades.
His early work was in radio and regional sports before he moved into national television. He joined NBC in 1980 and spent nearly four decades with the network.
His career has covered several generations of sports broadcasting. He has worked during the eras of network television dominance, the rise of cable sports networks and the expansion of streaming platforms.
His ability to remain involved across these changes is an important part of his career story.
Bob Costas’ Legacy in Sports Broadcasting
Bob Costas’ career is notable because of its range. He has covered baseball, basketball, football and the Olympics.
He has hosted major sporting events and conducted interviews with athletes and entertainers. He has also remained connected to baseball through MLB Network.
In 2018, the Baseball Hall of Fame honored him with the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting.
His 2025 Baseball Digest Lifetime Achievement Award added another major recognition to his career. In 2026, he continued to work in sports media rather than disappearing from the public eye.
His return to NBC Sports is particularly significant because it brings him back to the network where he spent much of his career.
FAQ’s
Who is Bob Costas?
Bob Costas is an American sportscaster, television host and interviewer. He is best known for his work with NBC Sports, MLB Network and NBC’s Olympic coverage.
How old is Bob Costas?
Bob Costas was born on March 22, 1952. He is 74 years old as of 2026.
What is Bob Costas doing now?
In 2026, Bob Costas is continuing to work in sports broadcasting. NBC announced that he returned to NBC Sports as the host of the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show. He also remains a host and contributor for MLB Network.
Did Bob Costas retire from baseball broadcasting?
Costas retired from regular baseball play-by-play in 2024 after 42 years. However, he did not completely retire from sports broadcasting. He continues to appear on MLB Network and returned to NBC Sports in 2026.
Why did Bob Costas stop calling baseball games?
Costas announced his retirement from baseball play-by-play after the 2024 season. The Associated Press reported that the decision had been in the works for more than a year. His TBS contract also ended following the season.
Is Bob Costas still on MLB Network?
Yes. MLB Network lists Costas as a host and contributor. He continues to participate in baseball programming and special coverage.
Conclusion
Bob Costas has built one of the longest and most recognizable careers in American sports broadcasting.
From his early days in radio to his decades at NBC, his Olympic hosting work and his long relationship with baseball, Costas has covered many of the most important sporting events of his generation.
The current answer to “What is Bob Costas doing now?” is therefore different from a simple retirement story. Costas is no longer calling a regular schedule of baseball games, but he continues to work as a host, interviewer and commentator.
At the same time, his ongoing MLB Network appearances keep him connected to the sport that has played such a major role throughout his career.
For a broadcaster who began working professionally in 1973, his continued presence in sports media in 2026 represents another chapter in an extraordinary career.
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