NFL RedZone will introduce commercials during the 2025 NFL season, ending the tradition summed up by Scott Hanson’s famous line about “seven hours of commercial‑free football.” Hanson acknowledged the shift on September 3, 2025, during an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, and emphasized that core coverage principles remain intact.
The league and its partners describe a presentation that keeps live action visible while ads run—using a split‑screen, or “double‑box,” approach that aims to avoid missed touchdowns.
Business context around the decision—including how the NFL, not a third‑party network, ultimately steers RedZone’s operations—was also detailed the same week. Coverage explained the league’s ownership and branding control while noting distribution conversations that sit outside the core editorial and production lane (Sportico).
What viewers will actually see on Sundays
Hanson’s opening line will change to match the new reality. Expect a version along the lines of “Seven hours of RedZone football starts now,” which acknowledges that redzone commercials will appear while keeping the show’s identity intact. In practice, the split‑screen ad unit places a commercial in one box while a game stays visible in the other, preserving the whip‑around experience that made redzone a Sunday staple.
Sources also stress that the guiding rule still applies: don’t miss scoring plays or critical moments. If the show needs to jump from a red zone drive to a bigger moment elsewhere, it will. The production philosophy—speed, relevance, and minimal downtime—remains the show’s north star.
Why bring ads to a format built on “no ads”?
According to the business‑side reporting, the league’s broader media strategy is evolving. The RedZone franchise sits within NFL ownership and branding control; distribution partnerships are separate. That structure explains why brand and operations decisions come from the league even as outside platforms carry the channel.
At the same time, producers want to balance new revenue with viewer expectations. The split‑screen presentation is designed to keep live football in view, which is vital for fantasy football players and casual viewers drawn by the promise of catching every touchdown. This also speaks to why NFL redzone commercials are being framed as additive to, not replacements for, the core experience.
How this affects pacing, fantasy, and channel‑flipping
RedZone’s appeal has always been pace. The concern with adding ads is the interruption they cause. The split‑screen approach, however, attempts to sidestep that by letting the show keep a live game on screen, then immediately snap back to full‑frame action the moment something meaningful develops. For fantasy managers tracking multiple players across early and late windows, this minimizes the risk of missing a scoring play while a commercial runs.
Viewers who use RedZone for discovery—dropping into the most compelling moment among multiple live games—should see that editorial logic continue to prevail. The whip‑around still prioritizes game‑state significance. In other words, commercials may appear, but the NFL RedZone mission statement stays the same, according to Hanson’s remarks and contemporaneous reporting.
What’s confirmed vs. what’s not
- Confirmed for 2025: Commercials will appear during RedZone’s Sunday broadcast; the opening line will no longer say “commercial‑free”.
- Presentation: Split‑screen “double‑box” ads that keep a live game visible during the break.
- Control & branding: The NFL owns and operates RedZone; distribution discussions do not change that operational control.
- Not confirmed: Exact ad load, specific partners, and whether any windows will remain ad‑free were not detailed in the cited reports.
Bottom line for fans
Yes, commercials are coming, but the show’s DNA—rapid switches, every touchdown, and Scott Hanson’s steady navigation—remains by design. The league’s media strategy explains why; the split‑screen execution explains how. If you value the hallmark features that made RedZone indispensable, the reporting indicates those pillars stay in place even as RedZone commercials debut in 2025.
Bottom line: NFL RedZone is evolving with commercials, but Scott Hanson says the focus stays on football.
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