ESPN is expected to announce Wednesday that Keith Olbermann will return to the sports television empire after a 16-year absence, the New York Times reported.
Olbermann will reportedly host a one-hour, nightly show for ESPN2 that is slated to launch later this year. Since his ignominious departure from ESPN in 1997, Olbermann emerged as one of the best-known political commentators — a hero to many on the left but reviled by conservatives. He hosted news programs on MSNBC and Current, both of which ended on bad terms.
But although he also had a messy divorce with ESPN, Olbermann’s career as a sports anchor was celebrated. He and former ESPN anchor Dan Patrick formed an iconic partnership on the network’s flagship show, “SportsCenter.”
According to the Times, Olbermann’s two-year contract with ESPN will permit him to discuss matters other than sports on his show, but not politics.
