FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 30th, 2018

NEW NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL OPEN FEATURING “GAME ON” PERFORMED BY CARRIE UNDERWOOD – PREVIEW NOW ON NBCSPORTS.COM

New Sunday Night Football Show Open Starring Carrie Underwood & NFL Players Premieres on Sun., Sept. 9 Bears-Packers SNF Opener

New SNF Open Presented by Pepsi

Carson Wentz, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz & Fletcher Cox of Super Bowl LII Champion Philadelphia Eagles Make SNF Open Debuts

Steelers WR Antonio Brown, Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, Rams QB Jared Goff, Giants RB Saquon Barkley, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson & Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Featured in Show Open

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 30, 2018 – In 10 days on Sunday, Sept. 9, seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood and NFL players star in the debut of the 2018 show open for primetime television’s No. 1 program, NBC’s Sunday Night Football. A sneak preview is now available here on NBCSports.com.

Pepsi is the sponsor of the SNF open and will be integrated on-air each week.

Ten NFL players, who have accounted for 19 Pro Bowl selections, five Super Bowl rings, and four first-round draft picks, participated in the open and took part in shoots this summer.  Following is the complete list (*denotes debut in SNF open):

  • Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
  • Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff*
  • Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins*
  • New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley*
  • Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz*
  • Philadelphia Eagles OT Lane Johnson*
  • Philadelphia Eagles TE Zach Ertz*
  • Philadelphia Eagles DT Fletcher Cox*
  • Pittsburgh Steelers WRAntonio Brown
  • Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

Tripp Dixon is creative director of the SNF show open, which features a new song performed by Underwood, “Game On,” which she co-wrote with Chris DeStefano and Brett James.  The song was produced by Mark Bright and DeStefano.

The open makes its television debut on Sunday, Sept. 9 as the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

This season’s open ranges far from the sound stage, utilizing the DJI Inspire X7 Drone special drone technology to capture NFL players and their cities in stunning 6k resolution. NFL player action scenes were shot at high frame rates with the Phantom camera to accentuate their athleticism.

NBC’S “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” IS PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW FOR UNPRECEDENTED SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR: NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished the 2017-18 TV season as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented seventh consecutive year – breaking a tie with American Idol for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on live plus same day data provided by Nielsen. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 show in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic for the eighth consecutive TV season.

About Carrie Underwood: Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 #1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote. She will release Cry Pretty, her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville on September 14, marking the first time she has co-produced her own album.  The title track and lead single was released worldwide on April 11. Co-produced and co-written by Carrie, it has already topped the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries.  The music video, directed by Randee St. Nicholas, premiered May 6.  Earlier this year, she released the hit event anthem she co-wrote, “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, which opened NBC’s Super Bowl LII and was incorporated into the network’s coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. “The Champion” has been certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. In 2013, Carrie starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!, whose airings attracted 44 million viewers.  She is lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which launched in 2015 and is exclusively available at DICK’S Sporting Goods nationwide and online at www.caliastudio.com.  This Spring, Carrie celebrated her 10th anniversary as a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and returns this Fall for her sixth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, Sunday Night Football.  Last November, Underwood co-hosted the CMA Awards for the tenth consecutive year.

 

2018 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thurs. Sept. 6 NFL Kickoff  Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles
Sun. Sept. 9 Week 1   Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Sun. Sept. 16 Week 2   New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Sept. 23 Week 3   New England Patriots at Detroit Lions
Sun. Sept. 30 Week 4 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Oct. 7 Week 5   Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans
*Sun. Oct. 14 Week 6 Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots
*Sun. Oct. 21 Week 7 Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Oct. 28 Week 8 New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings
*Sun. Nov. 4 Week 9 Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots
*Sun. Nov. 11 Week 10 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
*Sun. Nov. 18 Week 11  Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars
**Thurs. Nov. 22 Week 12 Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
*Sun. Nov. 25 Week 12 Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
*Sun. Dec. 2 Week 13 San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Dec. 9 Week 14 Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders
*Sun. Dec. 16 Week 15 Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams
*Sun. Dec. 23 Week 16 Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Dec. 30 Week 17 TBD

*Flex Week

** Thanksgiving Night Game

–NBC SPORTS–