PERSON: Bob Costas

Host

Bob Costas, a 26-time Emmy Award-winning journalist is one of the most respected and honored broadcasters of his generation and has handled a wide array of assignments, including play-by-play, studio hosting and reporting. He serves as the host of the critically acclaimed and most-watched NFL studio show Football Night in America, an exclusive and complete look at each Sunday in the NFL. He also hosted pre-game coverage for Super Bowl XLIX, the thrilling four-point New England Patriots victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the most-watched show in U.S. TV history with an average of 114.4 million viewers, and Super Bowl XLVI, at the time, the most-watched program in U.S. television history.<br> <br> Costas co-hosts NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes and has hosted U.S. Open and Ryder Cup coverage. He also contributes to a variety of NBC News programs, including NBC Nightly News and TODAY. In November 2011, Costas received critical acclaim for his exclusive interview with Jerry Sandusky. He also handles play-by-play duties and is a commentator for MLB Network.<br> <br> Costas served as primetime host during the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, his 11th Olympics for NBC Sports and 10th as primetime host. After serving as late night host in 1988 from Seoul, Costas has won acclaim and Emmy Awards each year for his work as primetime host from Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens, Torino, Beijing, Vancouver and most recently, London, the most-watched television event in U.S. history with more than 217 million viewers. Costas, who has the longest tenure of the network’s sports announcers, joined NBC in 1980. He has handled a wide array of assignments, including play-by-play, studio hosting and reporting.<br> <br> Costas first worked on NBC’s coverage of Major League Baseball, the NFL and college basketball. From 1982-89, Costas teamed with analyst Tony Kubek on MLB Game-of-the-Week telecasts, forming one of baseball’s most popular broadcast teams. During that time, he served as the play-by-play commentator for Game of the Week assignments and coverage of the American League Championship Series in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989. He also hosted All-Star Game pre-game shows in those same years and World Series pre-games in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988.<br> <br> Under the umbrella of The Baseball Network, Costas handled play-by-play chores for the 1994 All-Star Game and called 1995 Division Series and ALCS games on NBC. That year, he also called his first World Series on television, teaming with analysts Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker on Games 2, 3 and 6. The trio of Costas, Uecker and Morgan again joined in 1997 for NBC’s exclusive coverage of the World Series, marking Costas’ first start-to-finish coverage of the Fall Classic. The 1998 ALCS, 1999 NLCS, 1999 World Series and 2000 ALCS showcased the duo of Costas and Morgan. Costas and Morgan also called the 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game from Atlanta.<br> <br> From 1984-92, Costas hosted NBC’s NFL pre-game show, NFL on NBC. In 1996, he returned to the NFL pre-game, contributing commentaries and interviews. He also hosted the pre-game shows for Super Bowls XX, XXIII, XXVII, XLIII, XLVI and XLIX. From 1990-91 through the 1995-96 NBA season, Costas served as the host of NBA Showtime, NBC Sports’ pro basketball pre-game show. In November 1997, he moved from the studio to courtside to work as NBC’s top play-by-play man for NBA on NBC game telecasts. Costas’ call of Michael Jordan’s game-winning shot at the buzzer in the deciding Game Six of the 1998 NBA Finals between Chicago and Utah was one of sportscasting’s most memorable calls of the modern era. After three seasons as the lead NBA on NBC play-by-play voice – the last two and a half with acclaimed analyst Doug Collins — Costas volunteered to hand the NBA mike back over to the NBA’s signature voice, Marv Albert, for the 2000-01 season.<br> <br> Costas also originated the popular Costas Coast-to-Coast nationally syndicated Sunday night sports radio talk show, and served as a regular host of the program through mid-1996. From August 1988 through January 1994, he hosted his own Emmy Award-winning late-night interview television show, Later with Bob Costas, on NBC.<br> <br> Costas began his broadcasting career in 1974 at WSYR-TV and Radio in Syracuse, N.Y. He later joined KMOX Radio in St. Louis, working as play-by-play voice of the ABA Spirits of St. Louis. He also called play-by-play for one season of Chicago Bulls road-game telecasts. He then went on to handle regional NFL and NBA assignments for CBS Sports while acting as the radio voice of University of Missouri basketball from 1976 to 1981.<br> <br> In April 2000, Costas’ book, Fair Ball: A Fan’s Case for Baseball made The New York Times Best Seller list. Net proceeds from the book were donated to B.A.T – Baseball Assistance Team, which provides financial assistance to those members of the baseball family in need. Costas won his first Emmy for play-by-play work on his call of the 1997 World Series; and won Emmys for writing in 1988 and 1995. The latter award was for his moving tribute to the late Mickey Mantle on NBC Nightly News. In addition to his 26 Sports Emmy Awards, Costas’ interview program Later with Bob Costas won the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series.<br> <br> Costas has been honored as Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association a record eight times and in June 2012 Costas was inducted in to the NSSA Hall of Fame. He won first in 1985, when at 33 years old he became the youngest person to win the award. He added awards in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997 and 2000. In March 2000, Costas was named Favorite Sportscaster at the TV Guide Awards, based on balloting by readers of TV Guide magazine.<br> <br> Costas won acclaim as host of HBO’s On The Record, a weekly show on which Costas interviewed luminaries from the worlds of sports, entertainment and politics. He also hosted CostasNOW, on HBO, a monthly one-hour sports magazine program. Costas also hosted HBO’s Inside the NFL from 2002-08. In 2005, he also signed on with CNN as a substitute for Larry King on Larry King Live.<br> <br> Costas’ combination of wit and intelligence have made him a popular guest on the talk show circuit from his memorable play-by-play call of elevator races on Late Night with David Letterman to his current appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.<br> <br> — nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/