NFL RedZone will no longer bring fans seven hours of commercial-free football during the 2025 season, but the league insists the advertisements will not be as invasive as some rumors have suggested.
Longtime RedZone host Scott Hanson confirmed on Wednesday that the popular whip-around coverage channel will have commercials this year. The idea was tested late last season and even forced Hanson to change his popular catchphrase, so the news is hardly a surprise.
When the NFL ran its test ads last season, the commercials ran in a box next to RedZone coverage while the NFL action remained on half of the screen. An NFL spokesperson told Front Office Sports on Thursday that the two-box format will remain and that there will be four 15-second ads total in Week 1.
“It’s an incredibly small ad load,” the spokesperson said.
While there is a chance the NFL could increase the number of ads or change the way they are shown, that does not sound like something that will significantly impact the viewer experience.
The NFL also said the decision to incorporate ads into RedZone has nothing to do with ESPN’s recent agreement to purchase NFL Media. Scott Van Pelt took aim via social media on Wednesday at some fans who were blaming ESPN for the change.
Fans who were concerned that the RedZone channel would start to resemble a game on network television should be relieved to hear the update.
