Olbermann (TV series)

Olbermann was a television sports talk show hosted by Keith Olbermann on the American cable network ESPN2.^[1] The show, broadcast live daily from Times Square Studios in New York City,^[2] premiered on August 26, 2013, and featured Olbermann offering commentary and analysis on issues in the sports world.

Olbermann was originally a sixty-minute nightly program, usually starting at 11:00 PM Eastern. For a brief period of time, specifically during the ESPN networks’ coverage of the Australian Open, the show temporarily aired at 6:00 PM in a thirty-minute format. During this period a repeat of the program aired on ESPNEWS at 2:00 AM.

In September 2014, Olbermann was moved from its nightly spot to a late afternoon time slot and began airing at 5:00 PM Eastern in a thirty-minute format.^[3] ESPNEWS added two additional repeat airings; the first aired at 6:30 p.m., the second one in the usual 2:00 a.m. slot, and the last at 5:00 a.m.

On July 10, 2015, two days after ESPN declined to renew his expiring contract, Olbermann announced on air that the series would be coming to an end on July 24.^[4][5] The announcement came after The Hollywood Reporter claimed that ESPN wanted Olbermann to tone down his critical commentary,^[6] but the network claimed the move was to cut costs related to Olbermann's salary and the use of the space at Times Square Studios, claims later confirmed by an aborted move of Mike & Mike to the same facility and releases of other network talent at the end of their contracts throughout 2015 and into 2016.