Fans think Joe Buck and Scott Van Pelt actually hate each other after 'painfully awkward' interaction on live TV

NFL fans were left confused by a frosty festive encounter between Joe Buck and Scott Van Pelt.

The ESPN analysts locked horns following Monday Night Football between the Colts and Chargers in Indianapolis.

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Brandon Staley's Chargers booked their place in the NFL postseason with a 20-3 victory over the home team.

But it was Buck vs Van Pelt that had fans more entertained as they traded verbal barbs in the post-game show.

After being asked a single question on the game, SVP moved swiftly on from Buck and began talking to co-commentator Troy Aikman.

A visibly annoyed Buck said: "That's it? I get one question, that's all? Oh my God."

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Van Pelt hit back with a shrug: "I decided tonight Joe that I want to talk to Troy more."

Buck answered: "So I have to awkwardly stand here while he answers questions?"

Looking to lighten the tension, Aikman stepped across Buck to jokingly try and block him from the conversation.

Troy laughed: "Ask me another one! Come on."

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But Buck was not impressed and continued to keep the atmosphere in the studio frosty with his terse reply.

After being asked if he had a good Christmas, Buck replied: "That was my second question, yes! I had a good Christmas.

"My boys got a guitar and a drum set so I'm really happy to be in Indianapolis tonight."

Following a further exchange on Buck making it home on a private jet, Van Pelt added: "This is really getting awkward so I'm going to segway out of it."

Buck wasn't done though and added: "It's your show, I thought you wanted to get ratings?"

SVP finished off the cringe-worthy exchange by saying: "Yes. Yes it is".

Fans were unsure if the beef was real as they took to social media to comment on the bizarre conversation.

One said: "I’ve never seen anyone beef with SVP before. I wonder if this is a bit or actual animosity."

But another countered: "[Joe] is a very funny and sarcastic guy, he’s definitely kidding around here. I don’t understand the hate."

A third joked: "Joe Buck is the best. Loved this goofball for years."

While a fourth commented: "I’ve always believed that Joe Buck thinks he’s a game analyst, he’s actually insulted that when seeking game analysis SVP defers to Troy. So awkward."

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ESPN announced its acquisitions of Buck and Aikman from FOX Sports on March 16.

The multimedia giant reported that they had signed the pair to "multi-year deals," although they did not provide any specifics of the length or scale of their contracts.