Keith Olbermann Returns to Sportscasting for MLB Post Season on TBS
'This is My Passion,' Says Olbermann
Keith Olbermann is slated to begin broadcasting for TBS' Major League Baseball postseason studio show. Olbermann had been involved with politics with stints on Current TV and MSNBC, but now the 54-year-old is returning to sports, where he first began his career.
Keith Olbermann's return to sports broadcasting was announced Wednesday by Turner Sports, who also said the baseball historian will be joined by Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersly and another unnamed studio analyst later in the year. He formerly hosted "The Countdown With Keith Olbermann" on MSNBC and after his departure, on Al Gore-owned Current TV.
Although the anchor has been affiliated with liberal politics since the Bush administration, Olbermann also has extensive sportscasting experience, working with ESPN, Fox, NBC Sports and the MLB Network, among others.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"It's tremendous to be back in baseball," he told Sports Illustrated. "This will be the third different network I have done the postseason for, and I guess that is a record I'm the only one capable of breaking but I hope I don't."
"Whatever else might be out there just could not be as compelling as this. This is my meat and potatoes and my passion," he added.
Olbermann anchored "SportsCenter" from 1992 to 1997, then joined Fox Sports Net, then joined MSNBC, then Current TV. In each of those instances, he had a falling out with his employer for various reasons, but Olbermann made sure to address that issue publicly.
"The safety valve here is my season is a month long," he joked. "If you go through the 37 pages of my resume, you will notice that every one of my jobs has lasted at least one month."
Turner Broadcasting seemed to have confidence in Olbermann's abilities as well, citing the small window of time he'd be on the air.
"It's well known that Keith is a fan of the game and when you combine that with his studio experience, keen insight and passion for baseball and its history, he'll add a new dimension to our MLB Postseason studio shows," David Levy, Turner Broadcasting's president of sales, distribution and sports, told TheWrap. "We're excited to have him join Dennis in our studio, and look forward to Keith sharing his in-depth knowledge of the game … for three great weeks in October."
It is unclear if Olbermann has been contracted to do any work after the offseason, and Turner executives were vague when asked.
"Our goal is to have this studio show be as good as our other studio shows and last a long, long time," Levy said.
