One of the best catchphrases in sports will sound a little different in 2025. Long-time NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson typically welcomes fans into the program by stating, “Seven hours of commercial-free football start now.”
Hanson is going to have to make changes to that catchphrase now because — take a deep breath, football fans — commercials are coming to NFL RedZone in 2025. Hanson confirmed as much during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.
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Hanson said commercial breaks are coming to the show in 2025, but that the program would “not miss a touchdown.”
He added that the team would “pick and choose” when it was the right time to jump to a commercial break.
NFL RedZone has experimented with commercials in the past, with Hanson even apologizing once after using the phrase “commercial-free football” to start a week in which ads ran on a split screen next to all the action. The following week, Hanson did not use the term when introducing the program, according to Pro Football Talk. This season, Hanson will introduce the program by saying, “Seven hours of red zone football start now.”
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In 2025, it sounds like there will be full commercial breaks on NFL RedZone, not just split screen commercials. McAfee mentioned “actual commercials,” and then asked if Hanson would take bathroom breaks this season. Hanson didn’t refute the idea of “actual commercials,” and said he was not planning to take bathroom breaks.
The news comes less than a month after ESPN purchased NFL Network and the rights to NFL RedZone.
During the interview, Hanson seemed to realize introducing commercials to the program would be a pain point for consumers. He attempted to down play the issue multiple times, insisting fans wouldn’t miss a beat or a score amid all the action.
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Even if he’s right, some fans could be in for a rude awakening when they tune in to NFL RedZone on Sunday. They might not catch Hanson’s revised catchphrase, but they’ll notice the instant the program cuts away from the games.
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