"Seven hours of commercial-free football" used to be what fans woke up to every Sunday on NFL RedZone. Host Scott Hanson's signature line alone helped the program build a massive, loyal following. But as RedZone grew, it eventually started adding more ads to its live NFL coverage.
It began with 10- to 15-second split-screen ads that appeared during the broadcast while game action continued in the other box. Then, during the 2025 season, the ads expanded into full-screen breaks, along with a new intro: "Seven hours of RedZone Football starts now!" Fans weren't happy. Social media lit up with complaints, and some even pushed to boycott RedZone entirely.
But earlier this week, Hanson told Front Office Sports' Baker Machado that, after how last season ended, fans can expect fewer ads this year. "I could tell you from where we ended last year, there will not be more," Hanson said. "In fact, the actual ads that you see, there will be fewer of what we call the 15-second commercials with the audio going and the product and whatnot." More news: Clear Favorite Emerges to Hire Former The Athletic Insider Dianna Russini More news: Bill Belichick’s Son Faces Alarming Allegations in Bombshell UNC Investigation Fans would obviously prefer the ads disappear entirely.
But given how big RedZone has become, it was always unlikely the network would fully reverse course. Still, even if it's no longer "commercial-free," it sounds like there will at least be less ad interruption this season. "Our promise to you is we never miss a touchdown," Hanson added.
"We only sneak these in when the team is walking back to the huddle, during at least a little bit of a dead period in the game, and it's one 15-second standalone commercial at a time." Ultimately, RedZone subscribers pay premium prices expecting uninterrupted action — or at least they used to. So it's fair to say any ads will feel like too many. But limiting how many fans see, and when they're played, is at least a step in the right direction.
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