NFL RedZone Introduces Ads, Hurting Promise of ‘Commercial-Free Football’

NFL RedZone’s promise of “seven hours of commercial-free football” could be over. 

Users of the popular television channel that shows “every touchdown from every game” on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. were surprised (and annoyed) to see Sunday’s broadcast of Week 15 had ads throughout its broadcast. 

“The entire conceit of NFL RedZone is “seven hours of commercial free football” and now we’re dropping commercials in the split screen,” one viewer tweeted Sunday. “They just can’t help themselves.”

“15 second commercial/ads on NFL redzone,” another said. “The final death blow to Western Civilization.” 

Additional gripes accused the NFL of corporate greed and questioned the timing of including ads this late in the season. 

The ads were a test-run, an NFL media spokesperson confirmed to Front Office Sports. No further ad tests are currently planned, but the league isn’t ruling out their use in the future, according to a source with knowledge of the league’s thinking. The source added that while Redzone has avoided commercial breaks throughout its history, its popularity has held interest from possible advertisers over the years. 

Any permanent change wouldn’t be made until the 2025 season at the earliest. 

Longtime RedZone host Scott Hanson tweaked his intro of “welcome to seven hours of commercial free football” to “seven hours of RedZone football,” which was taken as a subtle acknowledgment of the change. Users tagged Hanson on X, but he didn’t reply to them. 

Launched in 2009, NFL RedZone is run by the NFL Network, which the league has been looking to offload for years. It’s separate from Sunday Ticket, which gives users access to every game on Sunday. The broadcast hops around games in the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. windows on Sunday, usually when a team enters the “red zone,” which is within the 20-yard line and therefore has a high chance to score, highlighting the main action from games. The package costs $14.99 per month and can be viewed through most cable providers or streamed through YouTube TV and other platforms. 

For years RedZone has touted itself for being ad-free allowing users to bounce around games without interruption. While Sunday’s ads were presented in split screen, with a game on one side and an ad on the other, it significantly challenges the network’s promise of “commercial free football,” an increasingly rare feat these days when previously ad-free streamers like Netflix are introducing premium tiers for no ads. The RedZone ads were for companies including Verizon, Gatorade, Visa, and Lowe’s, which are all league sponsors.