Sportscaster Bob Costas will become a substitute host for Larry King Live, making his first appearance in the chair Sunday, June 12.
The move is part of Costas’ overall deal with Time Warner, which also includes his role as host of his HBO talker, Costas Now.
An industry source said Costas’ new role will not affect his Costas Now duties, and was actually championed by HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg.
Costas has been a guest on Larry King Live before, but has never filled in for King. A showspokesperson said that Costas’ first appearance in the new role has not yet been scheduled.
"It’s an honor to have the opportunity to sit in for Larry," Costas said in a statement. "I’ve always enjoyed the long-form interview, and Larry’s program is synonymous with that television format."
The announcement follows a ratings-challenged May for Larry King Live, which averaged just 970,000 viewers, the lowest monthly average in four years, according to the network. That number is also off from the show's year-to-date average of 1.2 million viewers.
Costas has been with HBO Sports since February 2001 and his contract with Time Warner runs through July 2006. Costas is also a 25-year veteran of NBC Sports, where he also has a deal that reportedly runs through July 2006.
