Carrie Underwood returned to sing the theme song for Sunday Night Football for her eighth consecutive season this year, recording a new version of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.” This season’s opener debuted ahead of Sunday night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams and featured footage of Underwood recording the song in a studio in Nashville and performing in front of a green screen.
Several NFL players were also featured in the opening, though their cameos were filmed remotely and without extras due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fans were also included, though this year’s footage was self-submitted and included clips of Cowboys and Rams fans for Sunday night’s game. In a previously released clip, the Grammy winner opened up about filming the open during the coronavirus pandemic, explaining that the team behind the theme took a new approach this year.
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It’s time to crank up the sound 😏
Take us away, @carrieunderwood! pic.twitter.com/xb4BepRTSl
— Sunday Night Football (@SNFonNBC) September 14, 2020
“We all want to make each year feel special and unique, and more than anything, everybody’s just grateful that we get to do this,” she said. “Fans are going to get to be a part of the open with our world today and trying to do things in a socially distanced manner. That lended itself to giving us a new perspective on the open.”
“I think people need Sunday Night Football,” Underwood reflected. “Fans can all kind of unite for a few hours and they get to cheer on their favorite teams, and we need that bit of normalcy, even if we’re going about it in a slightly different way.”
“Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” is a re-work of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and the rock icon was featured in the 2019 spot for SNF along with Underwood. Pink was the first to sing “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” in 2006 before Faith Hill took over for several years and Underwood began her tenure in 2013. She has performed multiple theme songs including “Oh, Sunday Night” and “Game On” before “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” was re-introduced last year. The 2020 show opener will feature a new version of the song recorded by Underwood.
See the 2020 NBC Sunday Night Football schedule below.
Thurs. Sept. 10 NFL Kickoff Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
Sun. Sept. 13 Week 1 Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams
Sun. Sept. 20 Week 2 New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
Sun. Sept. 27 Week 3 Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
Sun. Oct. 4 Week 4 Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Oct. 11 Week 5 Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Oct. 18 Week 6 Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Oct. 25 Week 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders
*Sun. Nov. 1 Week 8 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
*Sun. Nov. 8 Week 9 New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
*Sun. Nov. 15 Week 10 Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
*Sun. Nov. 22 Week 11 Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders
**Thurs. Nov. 26 Week 12 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Nov. 29 Week 12 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 6 Week 13 Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
*Sun. Dec. 13 Week 14 Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
*Sun. Dec. 20 Week 15 San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Dec. 27 Week 16 Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Jan. 3 Week 17 TBD
*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
