Scott Hanson recalls 'knock-down drag-out negotiation' before NFL RedZone return

Early in the NFL offseason, one of the biggest free agent stories didn’t necessarily involve a player. Scott Hanson’s contract was set to expire, meaning the NFL RedZone host’s future came into question.

Reports then surfaced about NBC’s potential interest in Hanson as he negotiated his return to Gold Zone. Ultimately, Hanson returned – but not before a “knock-down drag-out” negotiation.

Hanson and the NFL started talks last offseason but hit the pause button when the season started without a new deal. He kept his focus on the show, but started negotiations back up during the offseason. As the two sides went back and forth, questions swirled about whether Hanson would be back on RedZone this coming fall. Ultimately, a deal came to fruition after back-and-forth.

“It was a tough circumstance,” Hanson told Jimmy Traina on the SI Media Podcast. “We, the NFL and I, had been talking going into – my last contract expired just at the end of June here and we all obviously know the calendar. So we started talking before last season. Once the season hit and we hadn’t reached the deal, I said, ‘Hey, guys, I’ve got to focus on the football here. I’m confident we’ll get something done.’ I’ve been the host of the show for 16 years now – 16 seasons – I’ve been with the NFL for 18 seasons. They’ve been good for me. I’d like to think I’ve been good for them. Reasonable minds should be able to come to an agreement here. However, the NFL, as they want to do, they are very tough negotiators.

“All the considerations that were in there – RedZone platforming me to allow me to do all the other types of things that I do in my broadcasting career with endorsements and appearances and stuff. They know that, they leveraged that. My reps and I … they leveraged the fact that, well, I’m the voice of people’s NFL Sundays. Not everyone’s, but a lot of folks. It was quite a knock-down, drag-out negotiation, but I’m thrilled to be back. Thrilled that we were able to come to an agreement. I’ll be rocking and rolling through — this is Season 17 coming up, and we’re signed through Season 20. And to think that I would be on the show for 20 years and have it be as successful as it has been, and as it most likely will be, is extraordinary. I’m very blessed.”

As for how serious he considered leaving NFL RedZone, Hanson compared it to a player in free agency. He said the thoughts went through his head, but he didn’t plan on leaving, per se. Of course, he had to prepare for it.

“I suppose it would be like being a football player in free agency,” Hanson said. “If you love your position that got you to the point where other places want you, so you want to stay and you like your teammates, you like your coaches, you like the demands of the position that you play for your current team. But if the management or ownership of that team doesn’t value you as much as others might, you have to look at what’s best for you, your career, your family, your life.

“So there was a time when I thought, ‘I don’t know if this is going to happen.’ It was not my intention to have it go that direction. But you have to be willing for that eventuality or that possibility.

Scott Hanson: NBC pursuit ‘kind of conflated’

As Scott Hanson went through discussions with the NFL about a RedZone return, reports surfaced about a potential departure for NBC. He’s set to once again host Gold Zone for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, but reports indicated discussions could turn toward a larger role with the network’s NFL coverage. NBC is set to air Super Bowl LX.

However, Hanson said those conversations got “conflated” a bit as they went along. He also praised his reps at Athletes First for being able to strike deals with both sides since they don’t overlap on the calendar.

“There were some reports that came out that were kind of conflated truths, I think,” Hanson said. “My contract was [coming] up – that was reported in public – and we were in a negotiation. That was true. And then, there was a thing that said I was going to leave for NBC. Well, I think that was conflated with what I did with Gold Zone for the Paris Olympics last summer and the fact that … I was and we were in the middle of a negotiation with NBC to come back and do future Gold Zones.

“So I think some people got part of this truth and reported that, ‘NBC is going to pull Scott Hanson away.’ Ultimately, we were able to do deals with both because they don’t directly conflict with football season. I’m very glad that the best of both worlds happened.”