Carrie Underwood to Return as ‘Sunday Night Football’ Opener for 14th Year With Rock Spin on Iconic Anthem
Categoria: Musica
The singer is excited to welcome the NBC program into her "ongoing rock star fever dream."
Por Billboard | 04/08/2026
Carrie Underwood and NBC Sports have been waiting all day to announce that she’s returning for her 14th year as the star of Sunday Night Football ‘s iconic show open. Related Even Though Farm Life Has Her ‘Covered in Poop,’ Carrie Underwood Says She ‘Wouldn’t Have it Any Other Way’ Luke Bryan Defends Carrie Underwood After She Was Booed on ‘American Idol’ ‘American Idol’ Contestants Reveal Carrie Underwood Sent Them Special Gifts With Handwritten Notes As revealed Tuesday (Aug. 4), the country star will once again perform “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” for the weekly musical number that plays before each of the live pre-game broadcasts, this time putting a rock spin on the track. “A brand new version of the iconic anthem is ON ITS WAY,” Sunday Night Football wrote in a post on Instagram sharing the news, which Underwood shared as a joint post. The anthem was initially inspired by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” making its new rock spin especially fitting. In a statement, Underwood gushed about the opportunity to embrace her love of the genre in a new way. “This year’s show open welcomes Sunday Night Football into my ongoing rock star fever dream,” she said. “It’s one of my most favorite opens yet!” Longtime creative director Tripp Dixon said that his team specifically drew “inspiration from [Underwood]s] deep, well-documented love of rock music” for the 2026 revamp. “We’ve worked to match these two rock frequencies of past and present as they come together in Carrie’s high-energy performance,” he said in a statement. “The greatest players and teams in the NFL will take it from there.” The American Idol alum first became the musical face of Sunday Night Football in 2013, a station she’s held ever since. Pink was the first to sing “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” in 2006, after which Faith Hill took the baton from 2007 to 2012. After wrapping up her second season as a judge on Idol in May, Underwood has kept busy with a string of live performances this summer. In late August, she’ll play two back-to-back shows at the Grande Ole Opry in Nashville. The Grammy winner last dropped an album in 2022, with Denim & Rhinestones debuting at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 . She’s topped the chart four times to date and has notched 43 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 , including 2005 No. 1 hit “Inside Your Heaven.” See the announcement below. View this post on Instagram