ESPN officially announced the return of Keith Olbermann on Wednesday, cementing the commentator’s return to the sports television empire he left 16 years ago.
The former “SportsCenter” anchor’s new program, titled “Olbermann,” will air nightly beginning Aug. 26 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
“Keith is a one-of-a-kind personality and these shows will be appointment viewing for that very reason,” ESPN President John Skipper said in a statement. “Keith brings a blend of editorial sophistication and unpredictability — you can never be sure what you’ll get. Olbermann on ESPN2 gives viewers the quality late-night complement to ESPN’s SportsCenter in the same way we’ve developed distinct show options across our networks the rest of the day.”
The New York Times reported earlier in the day that Olbermann’s contract with ESPN will prohibit him from talking politics on his new show. Following his departure from ESPN in 1997, Olbermann carved out a career as one of the best-known liberal commentators with his now-defunct program on MSNBC, “Countdown.”
