HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel Ends After 29 Years On Air

Summary

• HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel is ending after 29 seasons, featuring news stories on players, coaches, fans, and the political nature of sports.
• The show has received numerous awards, including 37 Sports Emmy Awards and 3 Peabody Awards, for its impactful journalism.
• Bryant Gumbel expressed gratitude for the opportunity to tell complex stories about race, gender, and class, and looks forward to starting a new chapter in his career.

After 29 seasons and over 300 episodes, HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel is set to end this year, Variety has confirmed. The sports series features news stories across the globe about players, coaches, fans, organizations, technological advancements, and the political nature of sports. The show has featured several correspondents and acclaimed journalists, including Ariel Helwani, Soledad O’Brien, Mary Carillo, Jon Frankel, David Scott, Carl Quintanilla, Bernard Goldberg, and many more.

During its time, Real Sports has won 37 Sports Emmy Awards and 3 Peabody Awards throughout the years. One of the most notable episodes of the show includes exposing a hidden child slavery ring in the United Arab Emirates’ national sport of race camels. The episode brought pressure on the UAE to end the use of children working as camel jockeys.

In 2004, Real Sports won a Sports Emmy Award for “Outstanding Sports Journalism.” Other significant stories include coverage of a police shooting of a teen boy, Shaquille O’Neal’s endorsement money amounting to more than his NBA career, and corruption investigations into the International Olympic Committee.

Related: Best Documentaries About Athletes You Should Be Watching, Ranked

A Bittersweet Conclusion to the Longest Running Sports News Show

HBO/Max

In a statement about the show ending, Gumbel expressed his gratitude and desire to begin a new chapter in his professional sports journalism career.

“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. 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.”

Gumbel is an acclaimed sports journalist himself, and before starting Real Sports Gumbel worked at several news shows like NBS’s The Today Show and NBC Sports, and for the CBS network. Gumbel has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has come out against racist and sexist policies in sports. He has also won four Emmy Awards for his work in journalism.

Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, Casey Bloys, praised the show for its longevity and positive impact on sports journalism.

“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.”

After so many years on air, Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel is sure to be sorely missed, but leaves an enviable legacy behind.

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