'Countdown' Steps Up to NBC

Zap2It.com | August 21, 2007

Keith Olbermann

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Olbermann's MSNBC show to get network airing

Keith Olbermann will be a regular part of NBC's NFL coverage this fall, but before that the network will give him a showcase for his day job.

Olbermann will anchor a special edition of his MSNBC show, "Countdown," on NBC at 7 p.m. ET Sunday. The hour will lead into the network's coverage of an NFL preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I'm delighted we're getting a chance to show off in a bigger storefront window," Olbermann says. "It's much better than trying to take it door-to-door. I do advise new viewers to sit well back from their screens."

The 7 p.m. Sunday spot will Olbermann's weekend home once the NFL regular season starts, as he'll be part of NBC's pre-game show "Football Night in America." The former "SportsCenter" anchor will join Bob Costas, Jerome Bettis, Cris Collinsworth and Tiki Barber in dissecting the day's games and previewing the network's prime-time contest.

"Countdown," which blends straight news with Olbermann's raised-eyebrow commentary, has seen its ratings increase steadily over the past year. Although the show still trails its timeslot competitor (and frequent Olbermann target), "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News, it drew 721,000 viewers per night in July. That's an improvement of 88 percent over the same time last year.