NBC Under Pressure To Replace Carrie Underwood After Growing Backlash
Fans are demanding for a change.
Carrie Underwood has barely started her 2026 NFL season, and plenty of fans are already begging NBC to switch things up.
Underwood has been singing the iconic Sunday Night Football theme for the last 13 seasons. Moreover, NBC made her return official in August, continuing a run that started years ago when she took the role from Faith Hill. Her latest intro, though, immediately drew hate from viewers.
The complaint began right after the season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, with NFL creator Lindsey Ok openly calling for NBC to finally move on from Underwood. “It’s time to retire the Carrie Underwood theme song I’m sorry,” she wrote on X.
NFL Fans Join The Push For A Change
Carrie Underwood (Photo By Andrew Nelles via Imagn Images)
Ok’s post did not stand alone. Other NFL fans soon shared their own opinions about the long-running opening.
One fan simply wrote, “Bring back Faith Hill.”
It’s time to retire the Carrie Underwood theme song I’m sorry
— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) September 10, 2026
Another suggested a much newer name for the role, saying, “Should be Sabrina Carpenter instead.
A third fan also questioned whether Underwood’s run had gone on for too long. “It was just okay from the jump… now were years past the expiration date,” the fan wrote.
NBC, however, entered the 2026 season with a clear reason for bringing Underwood back. The network wanted to connect her love of rock music with the roots of the “Sunday Night Football” anthem.
“This season, we’ve drawn inspiration from Carrie’s deep, well-documented love of rock music – a perfect fit since our Sunday Night Football anthem was born from pure rock ‘n’ roll: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You.‘” Tripp Dixon said via NBC Sports. He also pointed out, “We’ve worked to match these two rock frequencies of past and present as they come together in Carrie’s high-energy performance. The greatest players and teams in the NFL will take it from there.”
Underwood has now sung the “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” for 14 NFL seasons in a row. If NBC brings her back next year, that will make 15. Right now, there is no sign that the network wants to replace her.
Still, the early hate shows that many fans want to hear something new on Sunday nights. NBC will have to see if those complaints get louder as the season goes on.
