Carrie Underwood Initially Rejected Sunday Night Football Gig
on Sep 07, 2024
Carrie Underwood is the voice behind NBC’s Sunday Night Football anthem.
It’s a familiar tune played in over 20 million homes each week. The recently announced American Idol judge has been the face of Sunday Night Football since 2013.
When Sunday Night Football began in 2006, Pink was the first to perform the opening, inspired by Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself For Loving You.” Pink took on the role for only one season, after which Faith Hill was brought in and remained for six years. But before Pink or Faith sang the song, Carrie Underwood was actually approached first.
Carrie Underwood initially rejected the role of singing “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.”
Fred Gaudelli, executive producer of NBC’s NFL coverage, initially wanted Carrie for the role. However, having just won American Idol, Underwood was overwhelmed with commitments and declined. Gaudelli said when they reached out to Carrie “she wasn’t really interested.”
When Faith decided to step down, NBC approached Carrie again. And this time, highlighting the show’s importance and massive weekly audience, Gaudelli convinced her to join. This decision marked the beginning of her successful 12-year tenure with the show.
Gaudelli revealed the important things they looked for in choosing someone for the anthem, sharing:
“You’re choosing this person to open up your show every single week, so you want someone who’s popular. You also want someone that you feel confident in is not going to do anything that’s going to, let’s say, tarnish the reputation of the show…you really want to have someone that you’re proud to say, ‘Hey, this person is a major star, and they’ve decided to open up our show on a weekly basis.’ And that’s really what I was looking for.”
Last year’s SNF opening theme was recorded at Resorts World Las Vegas, where Carrie currently has a residency. Check it out in the video below.
Carrie Underwood opens up about Sunday Night Football in recent interview.
Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment, Carrie Underwood shared more details about taking on the role of singing the popular anthem.
Reflecting on her childhood, Carrie shared, “We didn’t have cable, so we watched whatever was available, which often included a lot of football on Sundays.”
Carrie said that she finds it “pretty awesome to be part of the biggest show on TV,” even though she initially turned down the offer almost two decades ago. She later embraced the opportunity, feeling like it was the right time.
Carrie also revealed that her two sons, who are nine and five, “love” watching her on TV. Most younger kids actually recognize Carrie Underwood from Sunday Night Football rather than her early career or her American Idol days.
Watch the first teaser for Carrie Underwood’s new Sunday Night Football opener below.
