Keith Olbermann is making his return to television, but he’s going back to his roots as a sportscaster. The former MSNBC and Current political pundit is joining TBS for the Turner network’s MLB playoffs coverage.
Olbermann became well known nationally with ESPN and had been interested in returning to the Disney-owned sports empire. The New York Times had reported back in March that he had dinner with ESPN president John Skipper, but the talks went nowhere and Skipper showed no interest in welcoming him back.
Since the door is closed at ESPN, Olbermann began talks with Turner in December. According to The Hollywood Reporter, TBS announced today that a deal was reached and he will potentially be another analyst alongside Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. TBS is broadcasting Wild Card games, 18 League Division Series games and the entire National Lague Championship series. THR’s sources say that Olbermann’s contract may have an option for 2014.
Olbermann, an avid baseball fan, started his career at CNN in 1981. He joined ESPN in 19912 as an original star on Sports Center. He left in 1997 and was not invited for the 25th anniversary Sports Center celebration in 2004. He worked at MSNBC and Fox sports briefly, before joining MSNBC full time in 2003. After leaving MSNBC, he joined Al Gore’s Current, but left less than a year later. They reached a $50 million settlement in March.
Since he left Current, Olbermann wrote for The Huffington Post and hosted a segment on the MLB Network last fall.
New avatar commemorates my first tv job - with Turner, as CNN Sports Correspondent. Redskins' Victory Parade, a mere 30 years ago.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) June 5, 2013
image: Wikimedia Commons