NBC Sports says MSNBC talk show host Keith Olbermann will join Bob Costas, Chris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber as a co-host of NBC’s “Football Night in America” studio show starting this fall.

Mr. Olbermann, who ranks sixth on TelevisionWeek‘s the annual list of 10 most powerful people in TV news published today, will call highlights and debate NFL news and issues with his colleagues, in what is his first network sports assignment in six years.

“Keith helped to elevate the medium of sports television earlier in his career, and now he will add his original style and flair to ‘Football Night in America,'” NBC Universal Sports and Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol said in Monday’s announcement. “I’m delighted to welcome him back into the NBC Sports family.”

“This will, obviously, be great fun and a great privilege for me,” Mr. Olbermann said. He will continue to host MSNBC’s “Countdown With Keith Olbermann” and is expected to continue doing regular spots on with his former ESPN “SportsCenter” partner on “The Dan Patrick Show” on ESPN Radio Sunday afternoons.

During Mr. Olbermann’s first NBC gig—which started in 1997 and ended 17 months later with him walking away from MSNBC—he hosted the network’s World Series and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, and contributed to pre-game coverage of the Super Bowl.

It was Mr. Ebersol who helped pave the way for Mr. Olbermann back into the NBC family in 2003.