Scott Hanson practiced his new catchphrase on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been more than 250 days since the first full NFL Sunday, but we’re back. And seven hours of RedZone football starts now,” said Hanson.
Notice what’s missing? The words that made RedZone famous for 16 seasons: “commercial-free.”
“I realize that might be a slight change to some of you, but that’s what the catchphrase will be going forward,” Hanson said.
Back in December, RedZone broke its sacred promise during Week 15. Fans who tuned in expecting “seven hours of commercial-free football” instead got split-screen ads for Gatorade, Verizon, Visa, and Lowe’s. The NFL later confirmed these were “test” advertisements.
Hanson apologized a few days later, admitting he was “conflicted” about using his famous catchphrase when he knew ads would run. “I made the wrong decision, and I’m sorry,” he said in a video posted to social media. “Being a great host means being accurate, being truthful, and having integrity.”
That apology wasn’t for the ads themselves. It was for misleading viewers about what they were getting.
“The business folks handle the business. And I have no say over different elements that could or could not be in the show,” Hanson told McAfee. “We’re not going to sacrifice any great football for any of the business side of it. The business folks are going to handle the business, and we play the hand that’s dealt to us. But we will not miss a touchdown. We will not say, ‘Oh, OK, this is first-and-goal from the five, but let’s sell some pizza or pickup trucks.'”
Hanson’s doing what any smart employee does when a corporation makes an unpopular decision. He’s managing expectations while trying to preserve what fans actually care about. He can no longer promise there won’t be commercials anymore, but he can promise you won’t miss the action.
The fact that Hanson permanently changed his catchphrase tells you everything. The NFL isn’t just testing ads anymore. They’re preparing for them to become permanent. You don’t alter the most famous phrase in sports media unless you know it’s no longer accurate.
“You pick and choose your spots like anything,” Hanson said.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.