Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
Check out the freshly released performance video.
Carrie Underwood made her return to Sunday Night Football this weekend, launching her 13th year as the voice behind the show’s famous opening theme.
Her performance of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” debuted ahead of the Ravens-Bills playoff rematch, serving as the season opener on NBC and Peacock.
The energetic new introduction featured fresh visuals of Underwood heading backstage, stepping into an elevator, and making a dramatic entrance onto the stage. Surrounded by dancers and cheerleaders, she confidently owned the spotlight as quick-cut shots of city skylines, flashing lights, and game-day footage of the Ravens and Bills played throughout the sequence.
As reported by The New York Times, Underwood recorded the vocals for the opener during a rainy summer day in Nashville, laying down 80 variations of the track. Each take included slight lyric adjustments — one swapped “Jacksonville Jaguars” for “Jags,” while another version added “the” before “Dolphins” when naming the Miami Dolphins.
“It all comes down to rhythm and flow,” Underwood explained. “Sometimes you’ll sing a line and it just feels awkward. Then someone will suggest changing the order or swapping out a name, and suddenly it works.”
The new Sunday Night Football opening was filmed at The Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas — the same stage where Underwood set records with her residency, REFLECTION. Now in its third year, the residency has sold out shows through April 2025, making it the longest-running Las Vegas residency by a solo female country artist.
Tripp Dixon, who has served as creative director of the SNF open for 13 seasons, said the vision for this milestone year was to capture both power and spectacle. “For the 20th season of SNF, we wanted to set the mood by reimagining the anthem to highlight Carrie’s incredible vocals,” he explained. “Visually, the goal was to create a seamless mix of stylized shots and behind-the-scenes moments that reflect the traveling showcase that Sunday Night Football brings each fall.”
Underwood shared her excitement about the project, saying they had a great time filming the new opening at The Resorts World Theatre once again. She praised Tripp Dixon and the creative team for consistently elevating the production with high energy and striking visuals that Sunday Night Football fans look forward to every season. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it,” she added.
