September 8th 2023.
After 28 successful seasons, it has been announced that HBO's longest-running show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, will embark on its last season. Bryant Gumbel expressed his pride in the show's legacy and said he is ready to turn the page.
"Since day one at Real Sports, we’ve consistently tried to look beyond the scoreboard and focus instead on the many societal issues inherent in the world of sports," Gumbel said in a written statement. "In the process, we’ve had the opportunity to tell complex stories about race, gender, class, opportunity, and so much more. Being able to do so at HBO for almost 3 decades has been very gratifying. I’m proud of the imprint we’ve made, so I’m ready to turn the page. Although goodbyes are never easy, I’ve decided that now’s the time to move on."
The decision to end the series comes the same year that Gumbel received the Sports Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award. Real Sports has won 37 sports Emmys and three Peabody awards, making it one of the most successful sports shows in TV history.
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, congratulated the show on its accomplishments. “For 29 seasons, Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel has delivered a masterclass in sports storytelling, garnering 37 Sports Emmy Awards and 3 Peabody awards in the process. As the longest-running HBO series, Bryant and his ‘Real Sports’ team have long been a cornerstone of HBO programming. The series will continue to resonate in the realm of sports journalism, and we are so proud to have been part of such a remarkable odyssey.”
Gumbel is no stranger to the world of sports broadcasting. He was a co-host of NBC’s NFL pregame show GrandStand from 1975 to 1982 before becoming a co-host of NBC’s Today. He stayed with the popular morning TV show for 15 years before moving over to CBS to co-host The Early Show. Gumbel first launched Real Sports in 1995, and the show has aired over 300 episodes.
It is sad to see Real Sports come to an end after such an incredible journey, but its legacy will live on through the incredible stories it told and the awards it won.
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