The 2025 season will be the first in years to feature absolutely no commercial-free football.
On Wednesday, NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson largely confirmed that commercial interruptions are coming to the whip-around channel when it activates on Sunday, and that ad breaks are going to become the norm on NFL RedZone for the foreseeable future.
The change follows an experiment last season when RedZone inserted ads into the broadcast, a move that spurred backlash from fans and led Hanson to apologize after accidentally using the “commercial-free” slogan on air.
During a segment on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” Hanson reiterated the decision was not his.
“The business folks handle the business and I have no say over different elements that could or could not be in the show,” Hanson said.
Launched in 2009, NFL RedZone has built a reputation among die-hard fans for its seamless coverage of every touchdown and key moment across Sunday’s early and late-afternoon games. Its format, anchored by Hanson, has been widely imitated but has also carried a unique selling point: uninterrupted football coverage for as long as seven hours.
That promise is ending as the NFL looks to expand its revenue streams. Commissioner Roger Goodell has long targeted $25 billion in annual league revenue by 2027. The timing also coincides with ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Media, which includes NFL RedZone and a sister channel called NFL Network, along with the streaming app NFL Plus. That deal won’t close before the end of the season, but it has raised questions about how the NFL RedZone brand and format may evolve once ESPN assumes operational oversight.
Hanson’s remarks suggest the broadcast will still feature its hallmark elements, including the “Octobox,” which shows simultaneous live feeds from up to eight games.
“When you see me come on the air, we’ve got eight games in the early window, taking you around to all the different cities,” Hanson told McAfee.
Fan reaction to the commercial shift has been swift, with many voicing disappointment across social media. Yet industry observers note that other sports have normalized similar changes, such as NASCAR’s split-screen “double box” approach to ads. Some media analysts expect most NFL RedZone’s estimated one million weekly viewers will adapt over time.
