NBC Sports is planning an Olympics surprise.
The network plans to bring back legendary broadcasters Bob Costas and Al Michaels for surprise on-air appearances during its coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The move represents a reconciliation after both Costas and Michaels left NBC under something of a cloud.
The duo is synonymous with Olympic TV coverage. Costas served as prime-time host of a record 12 Olympic games from 1988 to 2016. Michaels delivered the most famous TV call in Olympic history, exclaiming “Do you believe in miracles?” at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid when Team USA hockey edged out the Soviet Union.
On Wednesday, Costas and Michaels were seen kibitzing with NBC guest commentator Snoop Dogg at the beach volleyball venue under the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. The pair also joined a CEO panel conducted by sister network CNBC.
Costas split with NBC in 2019 after 40 years as its biggest star. Michaels gave up his Sunday Night Football announcer role to Mike Tirico in 2022, with NBC giving him an “emeritus” title. He then moved to Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football. Now it looks like NBC and the two broadcasters have set their differences aside. Michaels already agreed to let NBC use an artificial intelligence version of his iconic voice to narrate Olympic highlights from Paris.
“They’re icons in this industry, and it would be great for viewers,” NBC spokesman Greg Hughes told Front Office Sports. “We expect to make that happen.”
