Last season, an afternoon of supposedly “commercial-free football” on RedZone ended up being not commercial free. This season, RedZone won’t be called “commercial-free,” because it will include commercials.
Host Scott Hanson clarified the new RedZone reality on Saturday.
He says the broadcast will include four 15-second commercials, which will run in a double-box format, along with the RedZone broadcast. Also, Hanson says the ads will air between plays — with none happening during the popular “witching hour” as the early games come to a head.
Hanson adds that Disney/ESPN did not make the decision to use commercials. Many have blamed ESPN for the change, an inaccurate but understandable reaction, given the megadeal between the NFL and ESPN that will prompt many things, accurately or not, to be blamed on Bristol.
Finally, the opening catchphrase will change. Says Hanson, “you [and] I will have to get used to it together.”
Despite the limited number of commercials, the presence of any ads opens the door for more. Four perhaps becomes eight, Eight perhaps becomes more. And the consumer is the frog in the pot of water that is gradually getting hotter.
People will huff and they’ll puff, but they won’t blow the RedZone house down. Ardent fans will adjust, because there’s no alternative.
Unless, of course, the NFL decides to offer a higher level of RedZone (at an extra charge, of course) for the truly commercial-free version.
It’s no different than stadium naming rights, PSLs, and (inevitably) ads on jerseys and/or helmets. Every viable business looks for more and more revenue streams. Because every viable business wants to make more and more money.
Some of those decisions will spark complaints. But, really, who’s going to stop watching RedZone over the presence of commercials?
It’s the beauty of having no real competition. The NFL has none, which operates as a license to keep finding new places in the pizza to stuff cheese. All in the name of chasing more cheddar.