NFL RedZone evacuation, explained: Scott Hanson, program producers have to leave studio due to alarm

Jacob Camenker

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NFL RedZone evacuation, explained: Scott Hanson, program producers have to leave studio due to alarm image

NFL RedZone promises its viewers seven hours of commercial-free football every Sunday no matter what is going on.

Evidently, that includes when alarm bells are sounding in the studio, as we learned during Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season.

NFL RedZone had to briefly evacuate its studio on Sunday because of an alarm going off in the building. It could be heard over the broadcast and eventually prompted an explanation of what was happening from the program's host, Scott Hanson.

MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 12 of 2023 season

Here's what to know about what ultimately proved to be a short-lived NFL RedZone evacuation.

NFL RedZone evacuation, explained

Late in NFL RedZone's broadcast on Sunday, an alarm began to sound in the studio from which the program is produced. Hanson made viewers aware of the sound, which could be heard in the background of the broadcast.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a first in my 20-something-year broadcast career," Hanson told his audience. "We have an alarm going off in the studios of NFL RedZone right now in Inglewood, California. We are being told we need to evacuate the building. We do not know the nature of the emergency."

Hanson went on to further explain that the alarm was "unprecedented" for NFL RedZone. He also told viewers that he and the other staffers working on the program would be forced to abandon their posts momentarily.

As a result, the NFL RedZone producers planned to leave the Eagles vs. Bills game on while Hanson said he would provide viewers with an update on their situation when he could.

"Our control room needs to evacuate at this time," Hanson said. "The studio in which I'm standing needs to evacuate at this time. We are all good right now; we're remaining calm, but we are following protocols as I'm sure you all would at your places of work. So to be continued, hopefully, although this game is in the fourth quarter, I will come back and give you a live update if and when I am able to. Thank you for your understanding and your patience."

The good news was the issue in the RedZone studios didn't appear to be a big one. Hanson was able to return just a few moments later and informed viewers that he was allowed to remain in the studio.

"I am told it is safe for me to be in my position," Hanson said.

MORE: Updated NFL Draft order following Week 12 games

Even so, Hanson was still forced to finish the broadcast with an alarm blaring just over his shoulder. It could be heard any time the program cut back to the studios, as the veteran host noted.

Naturally, Hanson's re-appearance on screen resulted in many on social media making jokes about the host's commitment to bringing fans the commercial-free football that they so desire.

Certainly, these jokes were comical, but the most important thing is that all in the NFL RedZone studios appear to be OK, as Hanson noted after the program went off the air.

And soon enough, we'll know whether the alarm simply went rogue or whether there was an underlying cause for it.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.