Did Bob Costas Retire? NBC Viewers May Be Seeing Him at the 2024 Olympics

Bob Costas relinquished coverage of the Olympics in 2016 after 28 years.

Updated July 31 2024, 4:28 p.m. ET

Aside from the athletes that compete, few faces have become more synonymous with the Olympic Games over the years than beloved sportscaster Bob Costas. Since 1988, Bob has been the go-to commentator for Olympics coverage through NBC, and fans always looked forward to watching him call each competition. However, he has been notably absent from the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

For those who may not be in the loop with Bob's primetime career and only see him during the Olympics, one question exists: Is Bob Costas retired? Here's what we know.

Did Bob Costas retire? Yes and no.

After being the primetime host of 12 Olympic Games from 1988 to 2016, Bob Costas officially stepped down from his role in 2017. In an announcement, he shared that he would be relinquishing his duties as official Olympics sportscaster for NBC, being replaced by Mike Tirico.

However, he assured viewers that he would not be stepping away from NBC entirely, joking that he was entering the "Brokaw phase of [his] career," in a sort of on-call capacity.

"It opens up more time to do the things that I feel I’m most connected to," he told USA Today. "There will still be events, features and interviews where I can make a significant contribution at NBC, but it will also leave more time for baseball (on MLB Network), and then, at some point down the road, I’ll have a chance to do more of the long-form programming I enjoy."

Just two years later, though, Bob did indeed depart from NBC. In an interview with The New Yorker, Bob explained how it all went down and dispelled some rumors that he was fired.

"In 2012, I signed a new long-term deal with NBC which allowed me, at my own discretion, after the 2016 Olympics, to opt out of both the Olympics and football if I wanted to," he explained. "And I let them know, in 2015, that it was my intention to opt out of both and to enter into an emeritus clause in my contract."

He continued, "I was excited about that prospect. But then it became clear that my interests and inclinations were always going to rub up against some of their understandable concerns. ... I suggested and both parties quickly agreed, 'You know what? This has been a wonderful relationship for nearly forty years. We’ve hit a point of diminishing returns; let’s just close it out.'"

Will Bob Costas be at the 2024 Summer Olympics?

Though he has been absent from Olympics coverage for years, it seems that he may be surprising fans with another appearance at the 2024 Summer games.

Rumors suggest that the network plans to bring him back this year for a few limited on-air appearances alongside Al Michaels. The pair were seen hanging out with Snoop Dogg, who has become somewhat of a figurehead of the year's event, on Wednesday, July 31.

At this prospect, many fans have been sharing their hopes for a TV appearance online: "Bob Costas is in Paris for the Olympics? If NBC doesn’t have him at least doing a fluff piece, what a waste," one said.

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