NFL Network
NFL RedZone revolutionized the football viewing experience when it debuted in 2009, and millions of people watch Scott Hanson do his thing each week while helping themselves to a serving of what he routinely describes as “seven hours of commercial-free football.” However, that wasn’t the case on Sunday, and the league has shed light on the ads that rubbed plenty of people the wrong way.
It’s been 15 years since the NFL Network unleashed NFL RedZone on an unsuspecting world that quickly found itself wondering how it had ever survived without a program dedicated to keeping track of pivotal moments as they transpire in real-time on the constantly changing array of boxes that are constantly monitored by the watchful eyes of beloved host Scott Hanson.
The ability to keep tabs on multiple teams on the verge of scoring without having to flip back and forth between channels or construct an elaborate television setup is the primary appeal of RedZone, but the fact that the program is largely absent of the commercials and sponsored branding that infiltrate virtually every other NFL broadcast is also a pretty huge plus.
Hanson has a tendency to remind RedZone viewers of that reality when the program gets underway, but the “commercial-free” promise was noticeably broken on Sunday when ads for Gatorade, Lowe’s, and Verizon appeared in a dedicated box alongside some of the unfolding action.
so much for 7 hours of commercial free football pic.twitter.com/YyV6LpgIZv
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) December 15, 2024
According to Sportico, RedZone viewers may have gotten a glimpse at a likely inevitable future after a spokesperson for NFL Media informed the outlet that those spots (which each ran for between 10 and 15 seconds) were part of a test presumably connected to the league’s ongoing efforts to squeeze as much money out of its product as possible.
The good news is a source told Sportico there are no plans to conduct any more of those tests on RedZone going forward this year while adding a “permanent change would only be considered for the 2025 season.”
If capitalism’s track record is any indication, Hanson might have to retire one of his signature catchphrases sooner rather than later.