Our Sunday Joy Is Hanging In The Balance As ESPN Acquires NFL RedZone

Image: NFL

By Cody McClure

ESPN is reportedly acquiring NFL RedZone.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports is also set to gain several of the NFL’s other top media holdings in a blockbuster deal reported on Friday.

This news comes from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, who said Friday that, in return, the NFL would receive equity in ESPN that could be potentially worth billions of dollars.

“An official announcement is expected next week,” Marchand wrote on X.

People online, as could be expected, are not happy.

RedZone has been one of the few TV properties that still seemed… pure.

Seven hours of uninterrupted, commercial-free football delivered by the great Scott Hanson.

All the big plays from each and every NFL game of the day. The Octobox. The perfect Sunday for fantasy football players.

It has been a tradition for years for some of us. Now, the fear is that ESPN will find a way to ruin it.

“Cant wait for Jemele Hill to replace Scott Hanson and ad banners at the top and bottom of the Octobox with a commercial break every 15 mins,” wrote one X user — to which people replied that Jemele Hill no longer works there.

But you get the point.

Some other replies:

“About to cost 10x and be filled with even more ads.”

“ESPN will woke-ify NFL Redzone asap.”

“So much for commercial free football … RIP to Red Zone 💔”

All we can hope for is that ESPN recognizes WHY fans love RedZone.

Will Hanson be retained? Will it run commercials or perhaps be under the ESPN Plus blanket?

We’ll have to wait and see on the official report, but it would appear that our Sunday joy is hanging in the balance.