When football fans turn on the first Sunday game of the NFL season later this year, they’ll be greeted by a familiar sound: Carrie Underwood singing “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, which she’s been a part of now for 13 years in a row.
As announced Wednesday (July 30), the country star is once again recording the now-iconic sports anthem for the network’s Sunday evening broadcasts, the first of which will air Sept. 7 as the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Buffalo Bills. This year, she performed the track at The Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, where she hosted her Reflection residency for about three years up until this past April.
In a statement, creative director Tripp Dixon said, “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.”
“We had a blast shooting the new opening at The Resorts World Theatre again,” added Underwood. “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!”
The American Idol winner-turned-judge has long been the face and voice of Sunday Night Football, turning in her first take on “Waiting All Day” in 2013. First performed by Pink — followed by Faith Hill before Underwood took over — the track is a reimagining of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”
The news comes as Underwood is fresh off of finishing her first Idol season as a judge, replacing Katy Perry on the panel next to Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Her last album, Denim & Rhinestones, dropped in 2022 and reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200.
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