- NFL on FOX’s lead analyst and color commentator, Greg Olsen, is the favorite to win the 2024 Emmy Award for Sports Event Analyst.
- Olsen’s broadcasting career has prominently risen after a 14-year NFL career.
- Tom Brady is expected to replace Olsen as the No. 1 color commentator on the NFL on FOX broadcasts.
According to the latest 2024 Sports Emmy Award odds at BetOnline, Greg Olsen, 39, is the most likely winner of the Emmy for Sports Event Analyst. The FOX host is a +150 favorite to bring home the hardware at the 2024 Sports Emmy Awards on May 21, 2024.
Olsen’s broadcasting career has taken flight after retiring from the NFL in 2021. Since joining the NFL on FOX team shortly after, the former Carolina Panther tight end has received positive reviews from his employer, colleagues, and viewers.
Olsen’s price of +150 implies a 40% chance of him winning the Sports Emmy for Sports Event Analyst. Following Olsen, NBC’s Chris Collinsworth has the second-shortest odds at +260. The controversial host has an implied probability of 27.8% to win.
In 2023, Olsen won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent. He was nominated alongside Eli Manning, Andraya Carter, JJ Reddick, and Robert Griffin III.
Olsen wasn’t nominated for the Sports Event Analyst category in 2023. Instead, Peyton Manning edged out Collinsworth, Gary Danielson, Bill Raftery, and John Smoltz for the award.
Olsen & Collinsworth In Heated Race For Emmy
The 2024 Emmy Award for Sports Event Analyst is shaping up to feature a head-to-head battle between the newcomer and 65-year-old veteran. Collinsworth has been in the sports broadcasting industry since getting hired by HBO in 1989.
Meanwhile, Olsen has only been an NFL analyst for two years. He wasted little time establishing himself as a top broadcaster on FOX after his playing career. Instead of working the less significant matchups, Olsen catapulted to the top of the chain to work the FOX Game of the Week.
With Joe Buck and Troy Aikman leaving FOX for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, the door opened for a new No. 1 broadcasting team. Rather than select a long-time color commentator with more experience, FOX tabbed Olsen as their first-team analyst.
The move has worked out for FOX and Olsen, who quickly became a well-liked analyst with viewers. In comparison, Collinsworth is more of a polarizing figure among NFL fans. The Sunday Night Football color commentator is more of a punchline for social media users than a legitimate analyst at this point in his career.
Behind Olsen and Collinsworth at BetOnline, Bill Raftery (+550), Troy Aikman (+550), and John Smoltz (+650) have the next shortest odds to win the Emmy for Sports Event Analyst.
Tom Brady Taking Olsen’s Job
Beginning in 2024, five-time NFL Most Valuable Player and seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Tom Brady, will take Olsen’s seat at FOX. Despite all the accolades and reviews that Olsen has received, Brady is in line to be the No. 1 color commentator for the NFL on FOX.
In 2022, Brady signed a 10-year contract worth $375 million to work for FOX as an NFL analyst. At the time, it didn’t seem so controversial, but Olsen’s performance in the broadcast booth has made the switch to Brady slightly more difficult.
Olsen acknowledged that he doesn’t want to be the No. 2 guy at FOX:
From the time I took the job, I said I’m not taking this just content on being one of the crews. I want to be the best crew. If not, why? I’m not going to waste my time, I don’t have to do this. And they understand that and I think they believe and I think that’s a big reason why they gave me the opportunity to call these games because they believed in me and they trusted that I wasn’t going to embarrass them.
Brady recently mentioned that he is ‘not opposed’ to the idea of returning to play NFL football. While the odds of Brady returning are unlikely, there is still a window of opportunity for Olsen to remain with Kevin Burkhardt as the No. 1 broadcast team on FOX.
Do you want to back Olsen or any of his competitors for the award? If that’s the case, I encourage you to visit BetOnline and place your wager on the Sports Emmys!
