NFL RedZone adds frame to fix aspect ratio issues

NFL RedZone viewers may have noticed something slightly different about this week’s telecast.

Instead of the typical full-screen action fans are accustomed to seeing, RedZone introduced a small frame around its broadcast as seen below:

The framing is not all that obtrusive, but it solves a key issue that has plagued the broadcast at times: the aspect ratio. In the past, RedZone has struggled to show game footage as it appears on the original Fox or CBS broadcast, often times cutting off small parts of the screen in order to fit its on-screen ticker at the bottom without altering the aspect ratio. At times, this would obstruct graphic elements like the scorebug, which can make knowing the down, distance, and overall situation of a game hard to keep track of, especially when you’re moving in and out of different games like RedZone does.

With the framing, RedZone is able to show the entirety of the Fox and CBS broadcast without cutting off any key elements.

It seems like a reasonable solution if the broadcast insists on keeping its ticker on the bottom. The frames don’t cut too much into the on-screen real estate, and now viewers can watch the action exactly as they would on Fox or CBS.

While it’s a small change, RedZone viewers have proven this season that even the smallest of alterations to the beloved whip-around program can make all the difference.