FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 25th, 2016

NBC’S “THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” SHOW OPEN TO BE PERFORMED BY GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING AND MULTI-PLATINUM RECORDING ARTIST PENTATONIX

 “Weekend Go” Opening Theme Inspired By Pentatonix’ Original Hit “Sing” & Celebrates Kickoff of NFL Weekend

NBC is Only Network with Two NFL Primetime Packages

Show Open Debuts on November 3 for Falcons-Buccaneers Game on NFL Network

STAMFORD, Conn. – October 25, 2016 – NBC, the only network with two primetime NFL packages, has selected Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum recording artist Pentatonix to perform the show open for its new Thursday Night Football package.

Pentatonix will sing and perform “Weekend Go,” the new Thursday Night Football opening theme. “Weekend Go” is inspired by their original hit “Sing,” which has amassed nearly 17 million views on YouTube. “Sing” is from Pentatonix’ self-titled certified gold album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last fall.

The show open celebrates the start of the NFL weekend, with game highlights and player cameos. It kicks off the nine NBC-produced TNF games, beginning Thursday, November 3, when the Atlanta Falcons visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on NFL Network.

NBC’s Thursday Night Football schedule kicks off on Thursday, November 17 as the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers host the division rival New Orleans Saints. NBC’s TNF then has a four-week run of games beginning on Thursday, Dec. 1 with a blockbuster matchup as the first-place Dallas Cowboys visit the first-place Minnesota Vikings at the new U.S. Bank Stadium.

“Pentatonix, with millions of young fans, are the perfect choice for our show open as we debut Thursday Night Football,” said Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer of NBC’s Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football. “‘Weekend Go’ combines their mega-hit with spoken word for a fresh new approach to kicking off the weekend. We’re excited to get started on Thursday Night Football and look forward to premiering the show open.”

“Being a part of NBC’s Thursday Night Football is such an incredible opportunity for us,” says the group.  “We have seen so many legendary artists work with the NFL and feel so honored to join them this year. We had so much fun reworking the lyrics to our song “Sing” and hope people love it!”

Since bursting onto the scene in 2011, multi-platinum selling recording artists Pentatonix have sold roughly 3.5 million albums in the U.S. alone, won 2 Grammy Awards, sold out venues worldwide, have amassed over 1.6 billion views on their YouTube channel which is approaching 11 million subscribers and appeared in the feature film Pitch Perfect 2.  Their latest release, Pentatonix debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Current Albums Chart and is certified gold by the RIAA.  The first single, “Can’t Sleep Love” has more than 22 million views on YouTube.  The group’s holiday album, That’s Christmas To Me, is certified double platinum by the RIAA and features their recent 2016 Grammy winning track, “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy.” The group recently released its new holiday album A Pentatonix Christmas.

All 7 of their releases have peaked within the Top 5 on Billboard’s Digital Albums Chart with 6 of those releases reaching the Top 10 or higher on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. The group received 2 gold certifications for their Grammy Award winning “Daft Punk” medley and cover of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” ft. Lindsey Stirling. That’s Christmas To Me was the 4th best-selling album of 2014. The group released their very first documentary (On My Way Home) which follows the quintet on their sold out 2015 North American Tour featuring behind-the-scenes footage, live performance and the making of their debut studio album, Pentatonix.  The group continues on their 2016 World Tour in support of their self-titled gold certified album and will return back to the US in October. Pentatonix won Season 3 of NBC’s The Sing-Off.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all of NBC’s Thursday Night Football games to desktops, tablets, and connected TVs. The NBC Sports app will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s TNF broadcasts. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Win10, and Xbox. (NOTE: NBC Sports does not have NFL live streaming rights to mobile devices.)

The song will serve as the show open to the following Thursday Night Football games:

Date Game Network
Thurs. Nov. 3 Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFLN
Thurs. Nov. 10 Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens NFLN
Thurs. Nov. 17 New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers NBC, NFLN **
Thurs. Dec. 1 Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings NBC, NFLN **
Thurs. Dec. 8 Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs NBC, NFLN **
Thurs. Dec. 15 Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks NBC, NFLN **
Sat., Dec. 17 Miami Dolphins at New York Jets NFLN
Thurs. Dec. 22 New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles NBC, NFLN **
Sun., Dec. 25 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers NFLN

** Live streamed on Twitter, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–