Keith Olbermann, ESPN Reuniting as He Gets Own Nightly Show

Keith Olbermann, sportscaster turned bombastic liberal commenter, has found his way back to sports with his own show on ESPN2, according to the sports network Wednesday.

Olbermann had been off the air since leaving Current TV in 2012, according to USA Today. His new show will begin Aug. 26 at 11 p.m., entitled simply "Olbermann."

"Apart from the opportunity to try to create a nightly hour of sports television that no fan can afford to miss, I'm overwhelmed by the chance to begin anew with ESPN," Olbermann said in a statement. "I've been gone for 16 years and not one day in that time has passed without someone connecting me to the network."

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"Our histories are indelibly intertwined and frankly I have long wished that I had the chance to make sure the totality of that story would be a completely positive one," Olbermann was quoted by USA Today. "I'm grateful to friends and bosses – old and new – who have permitted that opportunity to come to pass. I'm not going to waste it."

ESPN president John Skipper told USA Today that Olbermann is a "one-of-a-kind personality" who will mix commentary, interviews and panel discussions during his one-hour show.

"Keith brings a blend of editorial sophistication and unpredictability — you can never be sure what you'll get," Skipper said. "'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."

In June, David Levy, Turner Broadcasting president of sales, distribution and sports, announced that Olbermann would join Dennis Eckersley during the network's playoff coverage, according to the Bleacher Report.

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The Bleacher Report said Olbermann and Eckersley, a Hall of Fame reliever, would talk on set while Cal Ripken Jr. will join the play-by-play team of Ernie Johnson and Ron Darling.

After doing local reporting in New York and Los Angeles, Olbermann was teamed with Dan Patrick to do the ESPN's signature program "Sports Center" in 1992, according to IMDB.com. He left the network in 1997 and went on to work for Fox, MSNBC and Current TV. Beyond sports, he is best known as the host of the liberal-leaning commentary shows "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" from 2003-2012, according to IMDB.com.

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