Bob Costas

Bob Costas holds a unique position with NBC Sports, News, and Entertainment. He contributes to the network in all three-program areas. He is the host of the network's acclaimed coverage of the NBA and the lead play-by-play announcer for its major league baseball telecasts.

Costas is a regular contributor to NBC News, with frequent reports and interviews airing on the network's prime-time newsmagazines. In addition, over the next few years Costas will be hosting several prime-time specials dealing with sports and other topics.

Costas has won the Emmy Award as "Outstanding Sports Broadcaster" five times-in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992 (for his coverage of the Barcelona Olympics), and 1993. He has also been named by his peers as "The National Sportscaster of the Year" five times-in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1992. When he first won the NSSA Award in 1985, he was thirty-three years old; the youngest announcer to be so honored.

In 1988 Costas began to diversify. He served as a substitute host for Bryant Gumbel on NBC's "Today Show", then went on to host his own late night program, "Later With Bob Costas." This Emmy Award-winning show featured in-depth interviews exploring the lives of newsmakers, entertainers and personalities from varied backgrounds. Costas left Later in February of 1994 (after a five and one half year run) to concentrate on his new NBC duties.

At age twenty-two, Costas landed a job at KMOX radio in St. Louis, Missouri, one of America's most prominent radio stations. He broadcast a wide variety of live, play-by-play, and studio programs from 1974 through 1981. One of his primary assignments during this time was announcing the play-by-play for the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis team. He did regional NFL and NBA telecasts for CBS (1976-1979) and was the radio voice of the University of Missouri basketball games (1976-1981) as well as the NBA Chicago Bulls (1980).

Costas began his career at NBC Sports in 1980. He was initially a football and basketball play-by-play man. From 1983 through 1989, he teamed with analyst Tony Kubek on NBC's baseball "Game of the Week" telecasts. He hosted the network's NFL Live pre-game show for nine years (1984-1992), stepping aside following Super Bowl XXVI.

Costas has been involved in the coverage of four league championship series and four World Series for NBC Sports. He has hosted four Super Bowls. He was one of the hosts for the 1988 summer Olympiad in Seoul, Korea. In the summer of 1992, Costas hosted the network's coverage of the Olympic games from Barcelona. He anchored five hours of coverage per night.