NFL RedZone Viewers Call for Boycott Over New Format

NFL RedZone is known for its seven hours of uninterrupted football chaos, but Week 13 made it clear how the league is pushing the limits of “non-stop” while squeezing in more sponsor inventory.

The channel featured 16 branded elements across Sunday’s slate, a mix of double-box ads, banner graphics, and sponsored segments, as RedZone continues to experiment with integrated commercial formats.

Why Are NFL RedZone Fans Frustrated With New Ad Changes?

The biggest change is the eight 15-second double-box ads (two total minutes of commercial time), split evenly across both windows. The broadcast closed with a 30-second DraftKings double-box spot, reinforcing the sportsbook’s role as RedZone’s top sponsor.

While banner ads have appeared in past seasons, the double-box format is new for 2025, and fans haven’t exactly loved it.

One user summed up their frustration: “So we went from 1 minute in ads (Week 1) to 4 minutes and 40 seconds (Week 13). A 4.7x increase in 12 weeks. Disgraceful. The thing that everyone predicted came true. And they won’t stop. Greed ruins everything.”

Another wrote, “Canceled mine after week 1 and haven’t renewed. The aura is gone.”

One user didn’t hold back as he unleashed: “All the bootlickers who told us “it’s not that bad” can get bent. We ALL knew week 1 and 4 ads were just the beginning. And it’s only going to get worse. I won’t be renewing next year and everyone shouldn’t either.”

One comment mentioned that many had feared this would be the case in the current football scene: “This is exactly what we predicted. It starts out with 3 small ads and escalates to taking over the entire experience.”

And the strongest sentiment was shared by this user, who wrote: “Get as many people to boycott any brand that has an ad…commit to not buying or stop buying.”

Alongside the split screens, RedZone ran eight banner ads that remained on-screen for approximately 20 seconds each. Even with these additions, the commercial load remains low compared to traditional broadcasts, but the industry is closely watching as networks test ways to monetize without interrupting live action.

Eight brands appeared in Week 13: DraftKings, Visa, Allstate, Mercedes-Benz, Wingstop, Lowe’s, Accenture and Progressive. Seven sponsors got one double-box and one banner, while DraftKings secured an extra 30-second closer.

However, this shift doesn’t happen overnight. The NFL tested the formats throughout 2024 through focus groups and social-media monitoring, claiming “extremely limited negative feedback.” That encouraged the league to expand integrations in 2025.

RedZone’s commercial partners have always been part of the equation; the channel isn’t built without them. But network executives insist the priority is maintaining the unique, high-velocity experience that makes RedZone essential for millions of fans every Sunday.

However, it reflects the larger trend: networks need more revenue, advertisers want to stay in front of viewers, and RedZone is searching for a middle ground that keeps fans happy. Whether that balance holds is the real storyline heading into future weeks.