With only 100 days to go before the kickoff of NFL RedZone, longtime host Scott Hanson is coming back to the anchor desk, Front Office Sports has learned.
Hanson is signing a long-term contract extension to return as host of NFL Network’s addictive whiparound highlights channel, sources say.
The popular anchor himself indirectly confirmed his new deal by writing on X/Twitter Friday: “100 days from now = NFL RedZone. (& for those wondering: Yes, I *will* be there. We have A LOT of Touchdowns to watch together!) #NFLRedZone.”
The agreement concludes one of the most closely tracked contract negotiations of the NFL off-season.
The 53-year-old Hanson has hosted every season of NFL RedZone since its debut in 2009. But his contract expired after the 2024 season. The TV free agent and NFLN played chicken for almost a year before finally reaching an agreement.
It’s been a big year for Hanson. Besides scoring a new NFLN pact, he also signed with NBCUniversal to return to the NFL RedZone-inspired Gold Zone channel on Peacock for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Hanson became one of the new in-game voices of the Madden NFL 26 video game. He was recently nominated for “Outstanding Personality – Studio Host” at the 2025 Sports Emmy Awards, losing to Ernie Johnson of TNT Sports.
Hanson and the NFL Network could not be reached for comment.
