Week 16’s edition of NFL RedZone was back to its usual ad-free self on Sunday, much to the delight of fans across the country.
Viewers weren’t so sure that would be the case after host Scott Hanson used the updated version of his signature catchphrase on Sunday, beginning the show by saying “Seven hours of RedZone football starts now,” rather than “Seven hours of commercial-free football starts now.”
Now, reporting by Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports indicates that NFL Network remains “undecided” about the future of advertisements on the popular whip-around show.
Fans were up in arms last week when, for the first time, RedZone displayed a side-by-side advertisement during its broadcast. RedZone loyalists have become accustomed to a full day of nonstop football uninterrupted by ads. The backlash became so widespread that Hanson even took to social media to apologize. But given the large audience that the program attracts, it makes sense that NFL Network is looking at ways to cash in.
A report in Sportico last week indicated that the double-box advertisement used in Week 15 was a “test” for NFL Network. It’s unclear whether the network will experiment with more ads in the final two weeks of the season, but the door is certainly open for the practice to become more widespread in 2025, especially with Hanson intentionally amending his opening.
It wouldn’t be a surprise for NFL Network.
Recently, NFL Media, which owns and operates the channel, has taken several cost-cutting measures designed to make the operation more sustainable. Earlier this year, NFL Network moved its flagship morning show Good Morning Football from New York, where the league rented a studio, to Los Angeles, where the league owns studio space. They also decided to alter the show’s format, shortening the NFL Network version from three hours to two, and then syndicating a separate two hours of GMFB to local affiliates across the country.
NFL Media has also undergone substantial layoffs this year, including the likes of Andrew Siciliano, James Palmer, Melissa Stark, and Will Selva. NFL Network also canceled its long-running show NFL Total Access this summer as part of its austerity.
Needless to say, NFL Media is being very price-conscious these days, despite being owned by a wildly profitable professional sports league. Adding advertisements to RedZone may just be one more consideration for the outfit in the grander scheme of its business plans.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.