Commercial-free football is dead.
On one of the last Sundays of the 2024 NFL season, Scott Hanson lied to me and the millions of NFL Red Zone fan boys. Before our weekly virtual worship of America’s most violent game, Scott Hanson said what he’s always said when kicking off another Sunday of NFL football.
“Seven hours of commercial free football starts now.”
Except for the first time since its inception in 2009, NFL Redzone showed commercials. And now, that’s the new normal.
NFL Redzone’s weekly broadcast that promises “seven hours of commercial free football” didn’t deliver “seven hours of commercial free football.” NFL Redzone is a paid subscription add-on service that promises “seven hours of commercial-free football.” How is that not a void in the provider-subscriber agreement? I’m sure there’s some legal loophole or clause in the contract that makes any charges filed against NFL Redzone be held in Roger Goodell’s kangaroo court. Or if the NFL is forced to pay damages in a class-action lawsuit they’ll say, “the NFL Redzone commercials are paying for said lawsuit.”
The NFL is at the most profitable it’s ever been with more games coming to the schedule soon, expansion in Europe on the horizon, paid-subscription service games a regular occurrence, and flag football being added as an Olympic sport. Why does NFL Redzone need commercials?
As per usual, the NFL chose to sell out its most hardcore fans to the highest bidder. Unless it’s NFL Red Zone’s new owner, ESPN pulling the strings here. The NFL isn’t special though. They run the same big business scam as everyone else. Develop an innovative product or service. Get people hooked. Once people get addicted, add paid premium services that were once included for free, start jamming advertisements in and increase revenue. YouTube used to be ad free. So did online dating. Connection, sharing, and exploring were traded for bots and pay-to-play schemes preying on the lonely and addicted. The NFL has always been guilty of abusing its most hardcore fans, but destroying NFL Redzone is going too far.
The Sunday after commercials aired for the first time on NFL Red Zone, Scott Hanson said something different to kick off the weekly mass on the NFL’s most sacred place. Hanson dropped the words “commercial free” from NFL Redzone’s broadcast opening. No longer could I pollute my mind with nothing but football, now solicitors would try to sell me shit, when all I wanted to do was relax and enjoy my weekly ritual of the game I worship.
I want to quit NFL Redzone, but what will I do to avoid commercials during Eagles games? Where will I turn to avoid pharma miracle pills being blasted on my screen or toxically negative political ads during election season? You corrupted my safe space, NFL, and I’m not sure what to do.
Seven hours of commercial free football is dead. It was beautiful while it lasted.