See Carrie Underwood’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ Evolution
Underwood will star in the Sunday Night Football show opening for the 13th consecutive year.
Carrie Underwood; Photos Courtesy Of Sunday Night Football
Carrie Underwood will make an exciting return to NBC’s Sunday Night Football during the upcoming 2025 season with a show opening that promises to be one of her best yet.
After making her debut in the SNF show-open in 2012, Underwood will return for her 13th consecutive season performing the show-opening this year.
All-New Performance Coming Soon
Underwood filmed the new Sunday Night Football open at The Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, where she made history with her record-breaking residency, REFLECTION. Running for over three years and selling out shows through April 2025, it’s the longest-running Las Vegas residency by a solo female country artist.
“For the 20th season of SNF, we wanted to set the tone for the night by reimagining the anthem sound in a way that plays to Carrie’s powerhouse vocals, while visually creating a seamless blend of stylized shots and behind-the-scenes moments evoking the national roadshow that is Sunday Night Football, week after week in the fall,” Tripp Dixon, creative director of the SNF show open for each of the past 13 years, shared.
“We had a blast shooting the new opening at The Resorts World Theatre again,” Underwood said. “As always, Tripp and the creative team continue to raise the bar, bringing the high energy and stunning visuals that the Sunday Night Football audience has come to expect year after year. I can’t wait for the world to see it!”
Debuting On September 7
Fans will have to wait until Sunday, Sept. 7 to see the debut of the Sunday Night Football show opening. The new show open will premiere ahead of the Ravens-Bills playoff rematch in the SNF season opener on NBC and Peacock.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football has been primetime television’s No. 1 show for a record 14 consecutive years.
An Unforgettable Journey
Throughout the past 12+ years, Carrie Underwood’s Sunday Night Football opening has thrilled viewers of the SNF broadcast.
The superstar took on the Sunday Night Football opening slot beginning in the 2013 season (country music icon Faith Hill previously starred in the show opening for six years). Since then, she’s performed “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night,” which is a reprised version of Joan Jett’s 1988 hit, “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” nearly every year with the exception of two years.
During the 2016-2017 season, Underwood mixed things up with a performance of “Oh, Sunday Night,” set to the tune of “Somethin’ Bad,” her duet with Miranda Lambert. The following season, Underwood performed an original song titled, “Game On.”
For the 2019-2020 season, the show opening returned to the classic “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” with Underwood and special guest, Joan Jett.
“I have always been a huge fan of Joan’s, and I’m thrilled that she’s joining us for the Sunday Night Football open,” Underwood said in a statement at the time. “What better way to pay homage to the original SNF opening song than by getting to play with her on primetime’s biggest stage?”
As fans anticipate the upcoming NFL season and the brand-new show opening featuring eight-time GRAMMY winner, Carrie Underwood, here’s a look back at Underwood through the years of Sunday Night Football.
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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