Carrie Underwood is returning to open NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” for a 14th consecutive season, but some viewers believe it is time for the country superstar to pass the microphone. NBC’s 2026 opening will feature a newly reworked, rock-infused version of the network’s familiar football anthem, with Underwood performing across three different settings.
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The revamped sequence will officially debut September 13 before the Dallas Cowboys face the New York Giants. Fans will get an early look during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 6. But while Underwood described the latest production as one of her favorite openings, the announcement drew calls for NBC to replace her with someone new.
Underwood’s latest “Sunday Night Football” opening draws heavily from the rock origins of the anthem she has performed since joining NBC’s broadcast in 2013. The sequence will move between a recording studio, an intimate music venue and a packed stadium concert.
“This year’s show open welcomes ‘Sunday Night Football’ into my ongoing rock star fever dream,” Underwood said, per NBC. “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 concept connects Underwood’s own affinity for rock music with “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts song that inspired NBC’s football anthem. Rather than completely abandoning the familiar track, the new version updates its sound and presentation while highlighting the musical roots behind it.
NBC Blends Carrie Underwood With Joan Jett’s Rock Legacy
5Tripp Dixon, the creative director behind Underwood’s “Sunday Night Football” openings for the past 14 years, explained how her musical interests influenced the redesign.
“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.’” Dixon said. “We’ve worked to match these two rock frequencies of past and present as they come together in Carrie’s high-energy performance. The greatest players and teams in the NFL will take it from there.”
The finished product will present Underwood in increasingly larger environments, moving from the controlled setting of a studio to a smaller venue before ending with a stadium-scale performance. The production is designed to mirror the escalating energy that leads into one of the NFL’s most prominent weekly broadcasts.
5The complete opening will premiere Sunday, September 13, on NBC and Peacock. Underwood will introduce the first “Sunday Night Football” game of the season as Dak Prescott and the Cowboys visit Jaxson Dart and the Giants.
The matchup will also mark John Harbaugh’s head coaching debut with New York. It will be the 15th Cowboys-Giants matchup featured as part of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” package. Only Cowboys-Eagles has appeared more frequently, with 17 meetings. The broadcast enters the season after ranking as primetime television’s No. 1 program for 15 consecutive years.
Before the official September launch, NBC will reveal a preview during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, August 6. The Carolina Panthers will face the Arizona Cardinals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. “Football Night in America” will begin its on-site pregame coverage at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
5Despite the redesigned opening, several social media users argued that changing the arrangement is not enough. “A new version of the song is good, but a different performer would be a nice change of pace,” one person wrote. Another nominated a fellow country star to replace Underwood, declaring, “Time for someone new. I nominate Lainey Wilson.”
Some viewers suggested NBC should shift away from female country performers entirely. “I like Carrie. I do. I just think it’s time to bring in a testosterone-driven music act to match the adrenaline boost of excitement that comes with most NFL hardcore fans getting ready to watch football on Sunday night,” one critic said.
Others believed NBC could keep the country direction while selecting an artist currently experiencing a major rise. “Ya know…Ella Langley would have been a nice change of pace here. No offense to Carrie at all, but someone different who’s at the top right now would have been a good idea. There’s a lot of Ella fellas out there just sayin…some outside the box thinking might be useful,” another shared.
Carrie Underwood’s Trump Performance Still Follows Her
5The renewed criticism comes months after Underwood became part of a national political debate by performing at President Donald Trump’s inauguration. In January 2025, she sang “America the Beautiful” inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda during Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. When a technical issue disrupted her planned backing track, Underwood continued a cappella and encouraged attendees to sing with her.
Ahead of the event, the country star framed her participation as an effort to promote unity. “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” she said. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Underwood’s appearance generated backlash because she had spent much of her career avoiding public political affiliations. “I feel like more people try to pin me places politically,” Underwood said in a 2019 interview with The Guardian. “I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”
Despite that controversy and the latest calls for change, Underwood remains NBC’s choice for another season. Whether the rock-focused makeover wins over skeptical viewers will become clearer when the first preview airs August 6.
