As a "special" game-day exclusive, it broadcasts on Sundays during the NFL regular season from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific), or when the last afternoon window game ends.

RedZone provides "whip around" simulcast coverage of all Sunday afternoon games airing in-progress on CBS and Fox.

[1] The channel prides itself on showing "every touchdown from every game," and is closely linked to Fantasy Football,[1] reporting superlatives and tracking various statistical accomplishments throughout the afternoon.

In the United Kingdom it is shown on the Sky Sports Mix television channel, and in Canada, Germany and Italy on DAZN, every Sunday and for the full seven hours.

It is a direct simulcast of the American feed, with no commercial breaks, live coverage of both the early and late games and Hanson hosting.

Host Scott Hanson gives a brief introduction of the day, highlighting key developing stories, as teams are typically already lining up for opening kickoff.

The coverage is a direct simulcast of the CBS or Fox broadcast feed and commentary, with only occasional and usually brief voice-over comments by Hanson as needed.

NFL television rules are exempted for RedZone, and live look-ins of games that are subject to blackout are still allowed to be aired in all markets.

Field goal attempts from outside the red zone are sometimes shown, either live or in replay, if they pose significance to the outcome of the respective game.

Some noncompetitive games that would otherwise not be looked at may take the attention for a few minutes, in order to fill the broadcast with as much live football coverage as possible.

During the latter portion of the season, extra sidebar attention may be given to teams fighting for playoff berths, and the respective status thereof.

If all games being held at a given moment are on a commercial break or in halftime, coverage will revert to the studio for brief commentary, replays, or statistical analysis by Hanson.

[13] On December 15, 2024, RedZone began to quietly "test" a limited number of commercial breaks, airing in a split screen "double-box" alongside live gameplay.

This elicited criticism from viewers, especially due to host Scott Hanson's still using his traditional sign-on promising "seven hours of commercial-free football".

The limited commercial breaks returned the following week, with Hanson notably amending his sign-on to no longer mention that the broadcast was commercial-free.

At the onset, the total number of touchdowns for the afternoon by type (offensive, defensive, and special teams) is listed on a graphic, with a running tally for the entire season also shown.

During the week, as well as during playoffs and off-season, a generic title card advertisement is shown, accompanied by music from NFL Films.

The 2019 re-run of the season was compressed in April 2020 to air throughout the month on consecutive days on a thrice-daily loop on the RedZone channel space, due to the coronavirus pandemic leaving the network wanting of content not involving live studio shows for the safety of their staff, as their facilities in California and the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area were closed due to stay-at-home orders and to allow NFL Network's traditional Draft run-up shows to air.

In 2016, RedZone aired a free preview on four selected nights during the preseason starting August 11 and during Week 1 of the regular season.

[38] Other complaints include middling games without playoff or draft positioning implications being nearly pushed off the channel in the last weeks of the season, with only cursory glances at highlights, fantasy stats, and scores for those match-ups.

[39] One source of criticism stems from RedZone potentially drawing viewers away from the traditional broadcasts on CBS and Fox, and likewise devaluing the commercial values for advertisers.

[41][42] In December 2024, NFL RedZone, known for its "seven hours of commercial-free football," introduced split-screen advertisements during its Week 15 broadcast, featuring brands like Gatorade and Verizon.

Host Scott Hanson, who had commenced the broadcast with the traditional "commercial-free" promise, later apologized for the oversight, acknowledging the error and emphasizing his commitment to accuracy and integrity.

In response to the controversy, the NFL stated that the commercials were part of a test and that there were no immediate plans to continue airing ads during the remainder of the 2024 season.

Subsequently, in Week 16, Hanson adjusted his opening line to "seven hours of RedZone football," omitting the "commercial-free" phrase, reflecting the potential for future advertising integrations.

[1][44] Despite their similar names and formats, the two channels were independent from each other, and the DirecTV service launched ahead of the NFL Network-run RedZone.

In December 2022, with the announcement that rights to NFL Sunday Ticket would move exclusively to YouTube, it was confirmed that the service will not produce its own equivalent, and would simply distribute RedZone.

[46] ESPN Goal Line aired live look-ins of college football games in a similar format and style as NFL RedZone.

Apart from the RedZone channel, a similar service is aired parallel on Sirius XM NFL Radio, hosted by "Judge" Steve Torre and Bill Lekas.

Whiparound shows in the National Hockey League are complicated by the league having separate national broadcasters in Canada and the United States (as of 2024[update], Sportsnet and Amazon Prime in Canada, ESPN and TNT Sports in the United States), with separate whiparound coverage being produced in both markets as a result.