The NFL's "RedZone" broadcast is set to launch its 18th season with host Scott Hanson at the helm. This season will introduce a notable change: 15-second commercials will be aired between plays, a departure from the program's previously commercial-free nature. Hanson confirmed that these advertisements will be standalone and brief, appearing only when players are returning to the huddle after a play concludes.
Last season saw an increase in advertisements, with "RedZone" airing approximately 16 commercials of various kinds. Hanson indicated that the number of ads at the start of the upcoming season will be fewer than in the previous year, though he deferred to "business folks at the NFL" for decisions regarding future ad load. "Fans can make their own minds up about that," he stated.
Despite the adjustments, "RedZone" has maintained a significant following, with Hanson reporting that the broadcast has been viewed in the White House across the last two administrations. He also noted that several prominent NFL players, including Tom Brady and Josh Allen, are fans of the program. Allen, described as one of the faces of the current NFL, reportedly watches "RedZone" on his off days.
Hanson, who is also involved in a "Earn Your Sunday" campaign with NFL players like Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, and Justin Jefferson, has a diverse range of personal experiences. He has traveled to six continents, cage-dived with great white sharks, and observed lions on the Serengeti. When asked about his preferences, he cited running with the bulls in Pamplona as requiring more courage than climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and expressed more fear of lions than sharks due to the lack of protective bars during Serengeti safaris.
In culinary matters, Hanson expressed a preference for Mexican food over Chinese food, recounting an experience in China where he was served "duck tongue" and found it unappealing compared to Americanized Chinese cuisine.
The seven-hour "RedZone" broadcast is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET on Sundays.