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NFL fans who are used to seeing Scott Hanson on “NFL RedZone” on Sundays during the fall were able to see him in a different setting during the winter.
Hanson, 54, was part of NBC Sports’ “Golden Zone” during the Milan Cortina Olympics in February. The interactive show, inspired by “NFL RedZone,” covered every event during the Olympic Games and gave viewers insight into as many different events as possible.
Hanson told Pak Gazette Digital that hosting “Gold Zone” and “NFL RedZone” requires different skills.
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Host Scott Hanson speaks on stage during the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 30, 2022. (David Becker/Getty Images)
“It’s fascinating because it’s the red zone for the Olympics, and yet there’s definitely a different dynamic, because when I’m doing RedZone, I’m like, ‘Eagles-Giants, Philadelphia, down by four, no timeouts left, first and goal from the five. Let’s see if Jalen Hurts and Company can score.” Boom, I’m done,” Hanson said in a recent interview with Lowe’s.
“I don’t say, ‘Eagles-Giants, first and goal, now there’s 11 guys here, and there’s 11 guys here, and they’re trying to move that piece of leather over the goal line. I don’t have to do that.’
Hanson said that for the Olympics he has to explain much more to the viewer than just the game.
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NFL Network host Scott Hanson performs on stage during Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri on April 29, 2023. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“When I go curling at the Winter Olympics in the Gold Zone, I need to explain, ‘Okay, there’s the rock, there’s the house, there’s the button, here’s the scoring system, here’s how long it lasts, everything,'” Hanson said.
“We have to explain the rules and the fundamentals of the sport as well as tell the personal stories of the athletes competing and the broader context in terms of what a gold medal or a loss would mean, that kind of thing. So it’s a big challenge, but it’s fun.”
Hanson said audiences told him it was the most fun way to watch the Olympics because they knew “Gold Zone” would cover everything that was happening.
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NFL Network’s Scott Hanson speaks onstage during day three of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 26, 2025. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
The Milan-Cortina Olympics were Hanson’s second time being part of the “Golden Zone”, as he was part of their coverage for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but it was his first Winter Olympics. Hanson said he is already signed up to be part of the “Gold Zone” for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“For those who enjoyed the Gold Zone, I have already signed up to attend the Los Angeles games in 2028,” Hanson said. “So the Summer Games in the United States are going to be epic, in a couple of years.”
