In 2007, country music took over NBC’s Sunday Night Football opening theme. Faith Hill replaced singer P!nk that year to sing “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.” After several years of Hill leading the charge, superstar Carrie Underwood made her debut as the Sunday Night Football theme singer in 2013.
The “Cry Pretty” singer continued on the tradition of singing “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night,” which is a reworking of the Joan Jett song “I Hate Myself For Loving You.” After a few years of performing the Sunday Night staple, the song changed to “Oh, Sunday Night,” a song inspired by Underwood’s duet with Miranda Lambert, “Somethin’ Bad.”
Like previous years, the song’s lyrics change just a bit each week to be about the two teams that are gearing up to play each other that night.
The theme changed up again in 2018, with a new song called “Game On.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeJotdhLS5c
Despite the rave reviews on the new opening, NBC has revealed that they are once again changing the opening song. This year’s change is due to it being the 100th anniversary of the NFL.
And for the centennial celebration every Sunday night, Underwood will be joined by a legendary singer – Joan Jett!
NBC celebrated the change with an announcement on social media.
The photo of the two singers holding a gold football was accompanied by the caption, “Hey Jack, it’s a fact, THE SONG’S BACK IN TOWN. Carrie Underwood and Joan Jett are bringing ‘Waiting All Day’ back to SNF this season! ?”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZY82UAQ6n/
“It is a perfect way to celebrate the league’s 100th season by going back to the beginning,” Sunday Night Football’s executive producer Frank Gaudelli said, according to The Morning Call. “It is a perfect way to evolve and celebrate the song.”
Their new Sunday Night Football theme will air a preview during Sunday August 25th’s preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans.
Underwood, who apparently thought up the idea, and Jett recently collaborated at CMA Fest in June. Watch their performance below.