So much for seven hours of commercial-free football. Yes, every NFL fan's favorite Sunday activity – watching NFL RedZone from the comfort of their own couch without being constantly interrupted by products they won't buy – will change forever starting this season. Scott Hanson, the host of NFL RedZone, confirmed there will be "some" commercials starting this season. It should come as no surprise that the Worldwide Leader – and the NFL, which now owns 10 percent of their stock – is getting as much money as possible out of a product fans cannot live without.
On the same day the government shut down Streameast, the popular streaming platform many football fans use to illegally watch their favorite teams out of market, Hanson hinted the "commercial-free" aspect of RedZone is essentially extinct. While Pat McAfee insisted this ultimately won't impact the show's audience – and he's probably right on that one, since there is no other alternative – it's upsetting to see Roger Goodell and ESPN cave so quickly on one of the more attractive elements of their offering.
As one would imagine, the announcement was not received well by NFL fans. That's been the dominant storyline so far, and the angle most outlets are going with. I do not blame them in the slightest, as there's a lot of money to be made in the social reaction business. However, for the sake of our own response, we'll be focusing on what this means for the NFL and what could be their worst-case scenario.
Could the Trump administration get involved in ESPN's NFL RedZone business?
In the past I would've considered it unlikely that a sitting president would comment on the actions of a sports league, especially when it involves that league making money. Such is the business of capitalism. However, Donald Trump has proven different from most on this subject, for better or worse (mostly worse). Trump has tweeted – and even called for presidential commissions looking into – everything from NIL to Pete Rose's Hall-of-Fame eligibility. When Trump talks, commissioners listen.
So much for keeping politics out of sports, right? However, Trump's base adores this man, even when what he's talking about is out of the scope of his presidential powers. Could the President of the United States force the NFL to pass on easy advertising revenue on NFL RedZone unilaterally? Not necessarily. However, any comment from, again, the President of the United States, has meaning. Rob Manfred caved, the NCAA has caved in certain cases, and Trump even played a large role in the PGA Tour-LIV merger back during his first term.
It doesn't help Goodell's case that Trump holds a grudge against the league, which has turned its back on him on multiple occasions. While I disagree with his tactics, Trump has forced professional sports leagues to kiss the ring, and with the 2027 NFL Draft set to be hosted in Washington, D.C., he already has Goodell's ear.
Donald Trump's complicated history with the NFL
More than anything else, Trump is petty. His whole existence and run for the presidency was predicated on vengeance. It's much of what makes him such a dangerous leader. Yet here we are in the year 2025, and Trump is serving a second term. He has a tremendous amount of power, and could have the NFL in his crosshairs should he choose.
Most recently, Trump tried to buy the Buffalo Bills back in 2014. The NFL, as well as prominent bankers in charge of the sale, doubted Trump had the money to get the deal done. Also, as one Morgan Stanley executive noted, Trump had little chance of being approved by the owners given his previous ties to the USFL and the gambling industry.
Trump was also the owner of the USFL's New Jersey Generals, and the face of the league back in the 1980s. That league sued the NFL in the mid-80s, alleging the latter had established a monopoly on professional football. The USFL achieved a Pyrrhic victory, but was rewarded just $1 in damages. The USFL folded shortly thereafter.
Verdict: Don't be surprised if Donald Trump tweets about NFL RedZone
This concept can be applied to just about anything on Trump's social media feed, which reads more like a diary of misdeeds than constructive thoughts from the commander-in-chief. Any post from Trump would surely rile up his base enough to apply some pressure on the NFL and Goodell. Conservatives watch football, too, and Goodell's job is to make money for the owners he represents.
Now, is angering the average football fan worth a couple extra bucks for the league office? Sure, but only if this is the sort of maneuver that will eventually blow over, as McAfee suggested when Hanson revealed the show's new format in the first place.
As executives in every industry face the eternal struggle of making money pitted against trying not to get on Trump's bad side, in a way it would be refreshing if Goodell refused. No entity knows Trump's fool's gold threats like the NFL does, but the man has far more power now than he did in the 1980s (or 2014 for that matter).
Either way, we are living in the worst timeline.