Carrie Underwood will return as the voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Football for her 14th consecutive season. Fans will get their first look at the new show open during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 6, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The complete 2026 Sunday Night Football open will debut September 13 ahead of the season-opening matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
Carrie Underwood Takes Sunday Night Football From Studio to Stadium
This year’s production follows Underwood through three distinct settings. The performance moves from a recording studio to an intimate music venue before ending with a full concert inside a packed stadium.
The concept draws inspiration from Underwood’s well-known love of rock music. It also brings the Sunday Night Football anthem closer to its roots in Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”
“This season, we’ve drawn inspiration from Carrie’s deep, well-documented love of rock music, a perfect fit since our Sunday Night Football anthem was born from pure rock ‘n’ roll: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You,'” said Tripp Dixon, creative director of the Sunday Night Football show open.
Dixon has worked on every Sunday Night Football opening featuring Underwood since she joined the broadcast in 2013.
Carrie Calls the New Opening a “Rock Star Fever Dream”
“This year’s show open welcomes Sunday Night Football into my ongoing rock star fever dream,” Underwood said. “I love this new version of the track and, once again, Tripp and the incredible team behind the camera brought it to life in a whole new way that captures the spirit of this iconic song and the heart of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s one of my most favorite opens yet!”
The performance continues one of the longest-running relationships between a country artist and a major weekly television broadcast. Underwood first took over Sunday Night Football opening duties in 2013, following Faith Hill’s six-season run.
Sunday Night Football finished the 2025-26 television season as primetime’s top program across key ratings and demographic measurements. That marked its 15th consecutive year at the top of the primetime rankings.
Watch Carrie Underwood’s 2025 Sunday Night Football Promotion
While we wait for the first glimpse of the 2026 version, here is a look back at Carrie Underwood’s Sunday Night Football promotion from last season.
CountryMusicNewsBlog.com will be watching Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game for the first preview. The Carolina Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, followed by kickoff at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The full Carrie Underwood Sunday Night Football open premieres September 13 before the Cowboys visit the Giants.
