As expected, Bob Costas will be the host of NBC's studio show when it begins televising NFL Sunday night games in 2006.
Last week, while discussing the hiring of Cris Collinsworth as the lead studio analyst, NBC Universal Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said, "I'm sure we're going to make a deal any minute now" with Costas. That minute has come, Costas now says.
"I think this is in the category of a foregone conclusion," he said.
A formal announcement is expected to be made Tuesday.
Costas is one of the few network sportscasters who is equally adept in play-by-play and studio roles. He has been NBC's lead baseball and NBA announcer, and also is its prime-time Olympics host. And he had the studio-host job on the network's NFL coverage from 1984-92.
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"I think from Day 1 everybody figured it this way," Costas said. "The only possible twist on it would have been had (Ebersol) needed me to do the play-by-play, or if that had been my strong preference."
In addition to Collinsworth, NBC has hired John Madden to serve as the game analyst and has been negotiating with Al Michaels to do the play-by-play.
Source: Knight Ridder Newspapers
