Bob Costas to head NBC coverage of 2014 Sochi Olympics

A familiar face will anchor NBC’s coverage of the 2014 Sochi Olympics this winter.

To no one’s surprise, the network announced Wednesday that Bob Costas will serve as host for prime-time and late-night telecasts.

Costas has served as lead man for every Olympics that NBC has broadcast since 1992. He headed coverage at the 2012 London Games that drew 217 million viewers, making it the most-watched television event in U.S. history.

The Olympics, he said in a statement, “are a three-week miniseries which, if done well, should bring viewers not only compelling athletic performances, but a sense of the host city and country, and an appreciation of what is truly a global gathering.”

The 25-time Emmy Award winner now becomes the first man to serve as prime-time host 10 times, having already eclipsed Jim McKay, who served in that role for ABC eight times and was legendary for his coverage of the 1972 massacre of Israeli athletes in Munich, Germany, by terrorists.

“There is no one better than Bob to lead us in telling the stories of the athletes and competition that captivate fans around the world,” said Jim Bell, an NBC executive producer.

The Sochi Games are scheduled to run Feb. 7-23.

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