• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!
exclusive
Tuned In

Exclusive: Scott Hanson Free Agent in 2025, Could Leave NFL RedZone

  • Hanson’s current deal expires after the 2024 NFL season.
  • NFL Media has made cuts this year amidst equity and partnership talks.
hanson_smiling
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Can you imagine the NFL RedZone without Scott Hanson? Soon, you may have to.

Hanson’s contract with NFL Media, which he signed in 2021, expires after the upcoming season, Front Office Sports has learned. The high-energy host could draw lucrative offers from NFL broadcast partners such as NBC Sports, Fox Sports, ESPN or Amazon Prime Video. YouTube TV is also an option, as it could use Hanson’s appeal to sell more “Sunday Ticket” subscriptions. 

The 53-year-old’s profile exploded this summer after he served as lead host for NBC Sports’ Gold Zone coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Replicating the live whiparound style of NFLN’s RedZone, Gold Zone was the breakout hit of NBC/Peacock’s Olympics coverage. As John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars, tweeted: “I’ve taken a lot of drugs in my life but I’ve never taken a drug like Peacock’s Olympic Gold Zone. What a rush.” 

Hanson got so excited narrating highlights from Paris that he cut his hand while banging it on his desk. Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC Olympics production, was asked about utilizing Hanson in future coverage, including the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“Scott brought his inimitable enthusiasm and energy to Gold Zone. NFL fans loved watching him transfer his ‘all-in’ mentality from football Sundays to the Paris Olympics,” Solomon told Front Office Sports in a statement.  “Each of our four hosts brought his own unique personality to the show, and Scott was certainly a key contributor to our process of re-imagining how Gold Zone could be experienced and consumed going forward.”

On an NFL press call in August, Hanson said he appreciated NFL Media giving him a chance to cover his first Olympics this summer. “It was an amazing experience, hosting Gold Zone during the Olympics, and hearing from fans and media critics alike that we have apparently changed the way people watch the Olympics now,” said Hanson. “It’s similar to what people tell me all the time on NFL RedZone for football.”

Starting this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, Hanson will host his 16th straight season of RedZone. The TV Ironman has hosted every episode since its debut in 2009. That’s over 250 commercial-free telecasts of almost 3,000 games. His NFL Network colleague Peter Schrager likens Hanson’s “Octobox” (where he analyzes eight games at the same time) to “football euphoria.” 

Everybody from Tom Brady to ESPN’s Bob Ley have praised RedZone’s impact on sports coverage. Hanson says he has been told by some fans they can go without sex on Sunday—but not RedZone. Others say if they were allowed only one channel, it would be RedZone. One went so far as to describe Hanson’s mystical ability to dip in and out, at the exact right moment, as the equivalent of God holding the remote control.  

Yes, Hanson leaving NFLN after 18 years seems far-fetched. But anybody who’s paid attention to the myriad talent moves in sports media would say: Never say never. NFL Media has been cutting costs, amid talks about a possible equity deal with ESPN or another partner. Despite the league’s $20 billion-plus in annual revenue, NFLN laid off multiple employees this spring and canceled NFL Total Access, its live weeknight show. Among those pink-slipped were Andrew Siciliano, the longtime host of DirecTV’s now-defunct NFL Red Zone channel, and studio host Melissa Stark.

Meanwhile, ESPN changed hosts for its two NFL pregame shows over the last two off-seasons, naming Mike Greenberg to succeed Samantha Ponder on Sunday NFL Countdown and Scott Van Pelt to replace Suzy Kolber on Monday Night Countdown

NFLN did not answer several emails seeking comment on Hanson.


Michael McCarthy has launched a twice-weekly “Tuned In” newsletter on all things sports media. You can subscribe for free at: gofos.co/3TfQMBg

This month, the column will come to life as a one-day event bringing together industry experts to discuss media trends and the future of fan viewership. The event will take place in New York on Sept. 10 at Times Center (242 W. 41st St.). You can buy tickets here: https://events.frontofficesports.com/tunedin and use the code SOC2024.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.

Paramount-WBD Merger Would Create Sports Superpower

The companies’ combined sports offerings would rival ESPN.
[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) reacts after a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

CVC Builds Out Sports Division Amid Crowded PE Market

The firm’s sports portfolio is reportedly worth $13.6 billion.
People congregate at Turning Point Headquarters in Phoenix after news that the founder, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed at a rally in Utah on Sept. 10, 2025.

Panthers Staffer, Suns Reporter Fired for Charlie Kirk Posts

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in Utah on Wednesday.

Featured Today

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
exclusive

FanDuel TV Renews Michelle Beadle’s ‘Run It Back’

‘Run It Back’ will return for a fourth season.
September 10, 2025

Sling TV’s Day Passes Spark Another Sports-Centric Legal Battle

The disruptive programming options generate a second lawsuit in as many weeks.
September 10, 2025

Amazon’s $1B NFL Package Now Has Wider Flex Game Options

“TNF” ratings rose 13% to 13.2 million viewers per game last season.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 9, 2025

Networks Set NFL Ratings Records As New Measurements Begin

Network viewership soars on the NFL’s opening Sunday.
September 9, 2025

Fox Schedules Michigan State for 11 p.m. ET Kickoff vs. USC

Michigan State–USC will be played at 11 p.m. ET on Sept. 20.
September 9, 2025

Lachlan Murdoch’s Victory Brings Stability to Fox Sports Rights Future

The network’s status quo is solidified in the complex financial settlement.
September 8, 2025

Cowboys-Eagles Misses Record TV Ratings Due to Weather Delay

The weather delay thwarts what would have been a record audience.