Carrie Underwood is returning as the voice of Sunday Night Football for another NFL season. The country star has opened the NBC broadcast for 14 consecutive years and will bring a stronger rock influence to this season’s version of the iconic theme, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.”
How much does Carrie Underwood earn?
With Underwood returning for another season, fans have once again questioned how much NBC pays her for performing the Sunday Night Football theme.
Last year, a social media post circulated shortly after her performance claiming that Underwood earns $1 million per week during the NFL regular season, totaling $18 million for the season.
However, the 43-year-old has personally dismissed those reports. During a 2023 interview with Howard Stern, she said the widely circulated claims about earning $18 million annually for the role were not true.
“No, it’s pretty pro-bono,” Underwood said. “I wish, that’d be great. That would be awesome.”
Underwood’s comments suggest that her work on the Sunday Night Football theme is not a major source of income and that she participates largely for the opportunity and prestige associated with the role.
Neither NBC nor Underwood’s representatives have publicly disclosed an exact figure for her compensation.
Carrie’s rock star dream returns
The revamped opening, inspired by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” will premiere when Sunday Night Football returns on Sept. 13 on NBC and Peacock.
“This year’s show open welcomes Sunday Night Football into my ongoing rock star fever dream,” Underwood said in a statement.
“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 & roll. It’s one of my most favorite opens yet,” she added.
A rock-inspired new opening
For this season’s production, Underwood performed with her band at an intimate venue, delivering an energetic set as the crowd joined in with the performance.
Tripp Dixon, the creative director behind 14 years of Sunday Night Football show openings, said the latest version took “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 & roll.”
