The man who was synonymous with your enjoyment of NFL Sundays is ready to be your guide for the Paris Olympics. Andrew Siciliano will be one of the hosts of Gold Zone, which will stream for the first time live on Peacock during NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympics.
Think of Gold Zone as the Olympic equivalent of the NFL’s Red Zone. It will be your one-stop shop to catch up on all the action, starting July 27-Aug. 10, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET. Siciliano, Scott Hanson, Matt Iseman, and Akbar Gbajabiamila will host.
For some viewers, this will be the first time they will see Siciliano since he was let go by NFL Network in April. We recently caught up with Siciliano to learn more about his upcoming gig and what else he has in store for the future.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: How will Gold Zone 2024 be different?
Andrew Siciliano: “I love it. I did it in 2014 when NBC first debuted the format for Sochi, and then in 2016 for Rio. That was before streaming took off. It’s a different age. In 2014 and 2016, not a lot of people wanted to stream any sports content. Now, it’s how we pretty much do everything. This is a much bigger field on Peacock, and, yeah, I’m excited.”
What are some of the unique challenges?
“You take your busiest NFL Sunday, maybe there were 12 games in Week 17 or 18 happening simultaneously. This is potentially (32) events at once. This is unlike anything we ever did on the RedZone channel. It’s 10,000 athletes. It’s a heck of a lot different than 32 teams with at most 22 of them playing simultaneously. This is a whole different challenge. It’s awesome. It’s invigorating. Instead of going from MetLife Stadium to SoFi Stadium, you’re going from badminton to swimming to track and field to potentially surfing. That’s wild.”
With so many sports, how much preparation do you need to do?
“I will give the much-deserved tip of the cap to the amazing NBC Sports research team because I have a stack of PDFs on my computer. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun to dive into a new world. I think like most American sports fans, you have your favorite teams, your favorite sports domestically, and then every four years, you turn back on to the Olympics. There are a lot of stories that happened between Tokyo in 2021 and now. It’s your job to learn those stories, tell those stories, and give the context for the competition. It’s not just, ‘Let’s go to the track and watch the 100 meters,’ and in 10 seconds after this event is done. You want to tell Noah Lyles’ story and say, ‘He’s trying to win the double, the 100 and 200 for the first time as an American since Carl Lewis in L.A. Overall, you want to tell those stories.”
What stories intrigue you the most?
“I gave you the Noah Lyles one. That one’s good. I think the fact that Simone Biles is coming back at 27 trying to become the oldest U.S. woman to win a gymnastics medal since 1948 is just nuts. Caeleb Dressel’s return is great. What Gabby Thomas could potentially do as well, I love that. And I love that Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles are chasing Jenny Thompson. Jenny Thompson has the most medals for an American woman at 12. Katie Ledecky is right behind her at 10. Simone Biles is at seven. I think that’s a taller task to get to 12. But Katie Ledecky’s got a heck of a shot to do that, to be the most decorated female Olympic athlete of all time.”
Is there one sport you need a little more time to prepare for because it’s new?
“Well, the newest sport is breaking. Don’t call it breakdancing. Call it breaking. I have been reading up on breaking, and Sunny Choi’s gold medal chances. She (was) a cosmetics executive in her day job. She is going to try to win gold in breaking. The first time it’s ever happened. Wait until you see it. They’re one-on-one dance battles. It’s going to be insane.”
Will you be in Paris?
“No, we’re gonna be in Stamford, (Conn.). NBC has that massive, beautiful, amazing, state-of-the-art complex in Stamford. We’re all going to be there. Makes it a heck of a lot easier when you’re trying to juggle 40 things.”
You manned DirecTV’s RedZone channel while Hanson hosted NFL Network’s NFL RedZone. Will it be strange to work with Hanson?
“It’ll be great to work with Scott. We’ve worked together for 13 years at NFL Network. He is my Red Zone brother. It’ll be great to work with him together for the Olympics.”
What about the NFL, will you be involved in any coverage this fall?
“I’ve got some irons in the fire, but nothing that I or anyone I’m working with is ready to announce. I can tell you that I am doing the Rams preseason for the 14th straight year. So, I’ll be back in the booth here locally with the Rams for their three preseason games. Beyond that, details to come.”
What has life been like since being let go from NFL Network?
“I love the brave new world and the potential that it brings. Had a fantastic 13-year run at NFL Network. Grateful for every moment, every opportunity, and every friend made. Happy to move on to new challenges, and new adventures. A little bit of free time in the summer is never a bad thing. Been able to travel a little bit in Europe. It’s nice to be able to breathe and see the world a bit, but ready to dive back in and get back to work.”
How do you think Tom Brady will do as a broadcaster?
“I think he’s going to be great, honestly. I’m intrigued, like everyone else, to see how he transitions. It’s a different challenge. It’s a different world. I’m curious to see—I don’t want to say how critical he is—but I’ve listened to Tom on his podcast, on his SiriusXM show. He’s pretty pointed. He unloads about what he thinks about the modern game and how the game has changed. ‘When I did it, this is how it was. When these guys do it, they don’t necessarily get it.’ I think people may be surprised with how good he is. I don’t want to say how critical he is, but he’s going to take the gloves off.”
What will be different about NFL broadcasts 10 or 20 years from now?
“I’d say the next frontier is a red zone, a live-looking experience in which it’s virtual reality-based. You’re wearing the headset, and instead of a host taking you to the next game, you get an alert on your headset that Dak Prescott has the Cowboys in the red zone. You hit the button on the side of your headset, and you are standing on the sideline at AT&T Stadium. Then, what do you know? Tua (Tagovailoa) has got the Dolphins in the red zone. You hit the button (again). I have no idea if it’s ever going to happen. I know Andrew Hawkins has a great VR startup that he’s partnering with the league on some stuff. But I think that’s the future.”