NFL fans furious at NBC change to Carrie Underwood song as singer releases statement
NFL fans furious at NBC change to Carrie Underwood song as singer releases statement
Rory RobinsonTue, September 15, 2026 at 10:13 AM UTC
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Carrie Underwood caught online heat for tweaking her "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" NFL anthem before Chiefs-Broncos -Credit:Getty
Country star Carrie Underwood gave Sunday Night Football a harder edge with a revamped version of her theme song, and some NFL fans wished they could personally hand-deliver the sound back to its origins.
NBC unveiled a more aggressive rock rework of "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" for the 2026 season to ever so gently push the familiar opener away from what football fans have grown to love.
The NFL pump-up DNA runs straight from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ I Hate Myself for Loving You, but this latest version landed with a thud.
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The backlash started almost instantly. Some fans liked the new mix, but plenty accused NBC of messing with a formula that didn’t need fixing and dragging the broadcast down in the process.
One viewer called the remix “worse than the original,” and others met the new sound with a mix of confusion and eye rolls. A second fan simply wrote, "You have to be kidding me," under NBC's post promoting the performance.
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A third NFL fan added, "The worst version of the SNF theme. Seriously, why would you replace what you had last year? This version just seems empty and shallow. Last year had energy and got you pumped up for the game."
Underwood addressed the brand-new opening in a statement to Rolling Stone before kickoff. "This year's show opening welcomes Sunday Night Football into my ongoing rock star fever dream," she said.
"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..." Underwood's rock-star persona isn’t just for TV.
Her recent live sets have featured covers from rock artists including Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Motörhead, Heart, and Guns N’ Roses.
Underwood has sung Sunday Night Football's theme for 14 straight seasons -Credit:Getty
Underwood’s voice has been utilized for Sunday Night Football for over a decade. She first sang the opening theme for Sunday Night Football on September 8, 2013, as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Giants 36-31.
ESPN followed NBC's lead during Monday Night Football and gave its program a brand new sound. The network brought back Chris Stapleton and Cindy Blackman Santana and added Ludacris to the mix for a new version of "In the Air Tonight."
Underwood's anthem skills came into play during the very first game of the season, after Cris Collinsworth drew heat for repeatedly praising Underwood during the Seahawks-Patriots broadcast.
Some viewers joked that the veteran analyst sounded far too enthusiastic when her familiar theme played during a promo.
Source: “AOL Sports”
