Andrew Siciliano, host of the Red Zone Channel on DirecTV, misses his 1st broadcast in 16 years after testing positive for COVID-19

Andrew Siciliano, the host of DirecTV’s Red Zone Channel, was not on the air for Sunday’s slate of NFL games for the first time since the channel launched in 2005 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, Siciliano said he tested negative twice last week but tested positive Sunday morning. He said a retest came back negative and he feels “great.”

“But out of the superabundance of caution, and to be respectful of my great teammates, I’m sitting this one out,” Siciliano said. “I’m going to be a fan and watch all 11 games ... from here. From home. First time I have watched Sunday football on the couch in the afternoon since 2004, the year before we launched the Red Zone Channel.”

Dan Hellie hosted in Siciliano’s place. Red Zone Channel, part of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package, provides “whip-around” coverage of scoring plays and other plays of interest from every Sunday afternoon game on CBS and Fox.

“We have said for months that this is the season where we all have to be flexible,” Siciliano said in the video. “Players and teams and coaches — and broadcasters too. Because of that, I am going to be on the couch this afternoon. I’m going to miss the show for the first time ever. Episode 261.”

———

©2020 the Chicago Tribune

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.