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Scott Hanson was asked this week if he has been able to reach a deal to return as the host of NFL RedZone. Sadly, his answer wasn’t what fans wanted to hear.
“Many people are speculating,” Hanson told Yahoo Sports. “There have been reports; some inaccurate, some semi-accurate, out there. All I can share with you is negotiations are ongoing. The NFL has told me they want me back. I certainly want to be back as host of RedZone. 16 seasons of what’s been called the greatest football show there is. We have to come to an agreement and we’re not there yet, but negotiations are ongoing and I’m very hopeful.”
"Negotiations are ongoing" 👀
Is "free agent" Scott Hanson done with NFL RedZone? pic.twitter.com/75ldiU2bas
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 24, 2025
Scott Hanson’s contract with NFL Media expired after the 2024 NFL season. There have been rumors that after how popular he was with non-football fans when he was hosting NBC Sports’ Gold Zone for the Paris Summer Olympics that they wanted to keep Hanson on their payroll and have him be exclusive to both NBC and Peacock.
“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,” Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC Olympics production, told Front Office Sports in a statement last September.
On the plus side, it was reported in February that negotiations between NFL Media and Hanson had stalled, so the fact that he still seems positive about a reunion is a good thing, right? Then again, ESPN is set to take over operations of NFL Media and RedZone in 2025 and fans know how much the Worldwide Leader likes to put their own stamp on things.
Let’s hope that one of the negotiation talking points between Scott Hanson, ESPN and NFL Media is the removal of the late-season addition of advertisements to what, for over 15 years, was “seven hours of commercial-free football.”