RedZone to add ads in 2025 season using doublebox format

Scott Hanson, the longtime host of NFL RedZone, confirmed on Wednesday that the channel will begin carrying commercials when the 2025 season opens, ending the program's signature seven hours of commercial free football. Hanson made the announcement during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, previewing a revised on‑air introduction and saying the change reflects a business decision he did not make.

"When you see me come on the air, we're gonna hit the Octobox, we've got eight games in the early window, taking you around to all the different cities," Hanson said. "And then when we get into it, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's been more than 250 days since the first full NFL Sunday, but we are back, and seven hours of RedZone football starts now." Hanson added that "the business folks handle the business, and I have no say over different elements that could or could not be in the show." He also vowed the addition of ads will not "sacrifice any great football for the business side of things."

The league says the commercials will not entirely interrupt live action. According to NFL communications, ads will appear in a doublebox format that keeps game footage visible in one pane while the...