FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 29th, 2021
THE RETURN: TOM BRADY TRAVELS BACK TO NEW ENGLAND AS BUCCANEERS VISIT PATRIOTS THIS WEEK ON SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON NBC, PEACOCK AND UNIVERSO
Coverage Begins with Special On-Site Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium; Followed by 8:20 p.m. ET SNF Kickoff
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final to Feature Postgame Press Conferences, Including Brady & Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick
“Sunday Night 7” Free-to-Play Game Features Weekly $100,000 Jackpot
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 29, 2021 – In one of the most anticipated regular-season games in recent NFL history, Tom Brady returns to New England, where he won six Super Bowls and became the winningest quarterback in NFL history, as the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers visit the Patriots on this week’s edition of NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with a special on-site edition of Football Night in America from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and Universo.
Brady spent 20 seasons with the Patriots (2000-19) after being selected by New England in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick hold the NFL record for most wins by a quarterback-head coach duo (197), while advancing to 13 AFC Championship Games and winning six Super Bowls. Brady and Belichick guided the Patriots to winning records in 19 of their 20 seasons together.
Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski, Brady’s teammate in New England from 2010-18 and with Tampa Bay since last season, also returns to Foxborough this Sunday. He leads all NFL tight ends with four touchdown receptions this season and is third all-time with 90 career TDs among tight ends.
The Buccaneers (2-1) fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 34-24, last week, marking Tampa Bay’s first loss since Week 12 last season. Brady passed for 432 yards and one touchdown against the Rams, and wide receiver Mike Evans caught eight passes for 106 yards.
New England (1-2) looks to bounce back from a 28-13 defeat to New Orleans in Week 3. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, leads all rookies with 737 passing yards this season.
At halftime of this Saturday’s Notre Dame-Cincinnati game (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock), NBC Sports’ Tim Layden narrates a video essay on Brady’s relationship with the fans in New England.
Calling Buccaneers-Patriots is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 36th season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and four-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay is the Sunday Night Football rules analyst. For Michaels, Sunday’s matchup marks the 44th time he will call a game with the 44-year-old Brady as the starting quarterback. For highlights of Michaels’ most memorable primetime QB moments, click here.
NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by executive producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff. SNF has won a record 11 Sports Emmys for Outstanding Live Sports Series.
A special on-site edition of Football Night in America this week features host Mike Tirico, Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees from Gillette Stadium, along with co-host Jac Collinsworth and two-time Super Bowl champion Rodney Harrison. Co-host Maria Taylor and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms will contribute from NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., and NFL Insider Mike Florio will report remotely from his home studio. In addition, celebrated correspondent Steve Kornacki will utilize his famous touch screen at the Stamford studio to break down Tom Brady’s career.
Football Night, the most-watched studio show in sports since its debut in 2006, begins every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The coordinating producer of FNIA is Rob Hyland and the co-producer is Matt Casey. FNIA is directed by Pierre Moossa.
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final, a new NFL post-game show produced by NBC Sports, streams exclusively on Peacock following every Sunday Night Football game during the 2021 season. The show is hosted by NBC Sports commentators Kathryn Tappen and Chris Simms, who will provide instant reactions to each Sunday game along with highlights and interviews. Plus, Football Night in America commentators Mike Tirico, Tony Dungy, Drew Brees, Rodney Harrison and Jac Collinsworth will provide recaps and insights into the day’s biggest moments. This week’s Peacock Sunday Night Football Final will feature the postgame press conferences of Brady and Belichick.
NBC SPORTS’ NFL VIEWERSHIP OFF TO STRONG START
NBC’s Sunday Night Football, primetime TV’s #1 show for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years, is averaging a Total Audience Delivery of 21.8 million viewers through Week 3 – the show’s best start since 2016 and up 12% from last season at the same point.
Across three weeks, Football Night in America is averaging 7.1 million viewers, the best start for FNIA since 2018 and up 36% from last season.
PEACOCK TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON
For the first time ever, all of NBC Sports’ NFL regular-season games, playoff games, Super Bowl LVI, and Football Night in America will stream live on Peacock this season. Peacock features a slate of sports talk content NFL fans can enjoy on the NBC Sports channel, which is free to stream. Shows include Brother from Another, as well as The Dan Patrick Show, The Rich Eisen Show, PFT Live, PFT PM, Safety Blitz, The Peter King Podcast, and Chris Simms Unbuttoned.
To learn more about the NFL on Peacock, including how to watch and sign up, click here. Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers.
NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs 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 broadcasts. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.
TELEMUNDO DEPORTES TO PRESENT ENTIRE NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, INCLUDING PLAYOFFS AND SUPER BOWL LVI
Telemundo Deportes will again carry the entire NBC Sunday Night Football package, including exclusive Spanish-language coverage of Super Bowl LVI, live for the first time on the Telemundo Network — marking the first time ever that a Super Bowl will be televised on a Spanish-language broadcast network in the U.S. The package also includes 20 regular season games that will be televised on Universo, including the NFL Kickoff game and the Thanksgiving primetime game, as well as a Wild Card game, and one Divisional Playoff game. In addition, Telemundo Network will broadcast the Sunday primetime Wild Card game. All games will also be available on live stream via TelemundoDeportes.com and the Telemundo Deportes app.
“SUNDAY NIGHT 7” FREE-TO-PLAY GAME RETURNS WITH $100,000 JACKPOT EVERY CONTEST
Once again this season, in the build-up to each week’s Sunday Night Football matchup, fans can participate in NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, Sunday Night 7, which features a $100,000 jackpot every contest for each game in the Sunday Night Football package, as well as two NFL Wild Card playoff games and one NFL Divisional Playoff. Sunday Night 7 is available for download NOW on the NBC Sports Predictor app powered by PointsBet (available in the App Store and Google Play Store) and at NBCSports.com/Predictor.
In Sunday’s game, one user won the first-place jackpot.
POINTSBET AND NBC SPORTS INCLUDE EXCLUSIVE BETTING INTEGRATIONS INTO FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA AND PEACOCK SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FINAL POST-GAME SHOW
This season, PointsBet and NBC Sports include exclusive betting integrations on the Football Night in America studio show and the new Peacock Sunday Night Football Final postgame show. Click here for more information.
PETER KING’S NFL COLUMN “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” DEBUTS EVERY MONDAY EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM
A new “Football Morning in America” will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports. The Peter King Podcast streams weekly on Peacock on Thursdays at 6 p.m. ET.
CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED
NBC Sports’ Chris Simms examines everything happening in the NFL and around the sports world. Along with a rotation of NBC Sports hosts including Ahmed Fareed and Paul Burmeister, Chris Simms Unbuttoned analyses the NFL with in-depth Xs and Os breakdowns; one-on-one interviews with players, coaches and executives; and game recaps and preview. The show is available to stream on Peacock on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET.
NBC SPORTS EDGE
NBC Sports EDGE, part of the newly announced NBC Sports Next portfolio and one of the internet’s highest-trafficked fantasy sports and gaming websites, offers comprehensive fantasy football and betting coverage throughout the 2021 NFL season across NBC Sports’ platforms. The industry-leading source for fantasy football news and information, the 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Guide is available for purchase now via NBC Sports EDGE’s subscription model beginning at only $3.99 per month, and features more than 450 extensive player profiles, player projections, positional tiers, Top 200 rankings for PPR, Half-PPR, Non-PPR and Dynasty, as well as Individual Defensive Player rankings, sleepers and busts, drafting strategy articles, team reports and much more. NBC Sports EDGE also provides fantasy football coverage and betting insights through its digital shows, A Good Football Show and Bet the Edge.
PFT LIVE – WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON PEACOCK
Pro Football Talk streams live on Peacock’s NBC Sports on Peacock channel from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on weekdays and re-airs at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Florio is joined by veteran sports commentator Mike Golic on Monday mornings, co-host and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms from Tuesday – Thursday, with a special guest co-hosting on Fridays.
The two-hour PFT Live is known for delivering inside information and comprehensive analysis from an independent perspective. The show covers all the latest news around the league, breaks down reports and rumors and features interviews with players, coaches and executives.
PODCASTS
NBC Sports’ football podcasts provide extensive weekly offerings from NBC Sports’ most popular personalities and present special guests, exclusive interviews, and robust conversations across all of football on The Peter King Podcast, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, PFT PM, and A Good Football Show. While The Peter King Podcast features intimate discussions with the NFL’s top players, Chris Simms Unbuttoned and PFT PM dive into deep conversations around the sports’ hottest topics, and A Good Football Show explores fantasy implications for fans. New episodes of NBC Sports podcasts are available for download each week on all major podcast platforms including:
NBCSports.com/podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and iHeart.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA
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- SNF ON INSTAGRAM: Through the unique filter of Instagram, fans will get an in-depth look at each week’s Sunday Night Football game with the most engaging photos and videos from across the NFL. SNF also utilizes Instagram Stories for up-to-the-minute coverage of the league.
- SNF ON TWITTER: The very latest news, video, analysis from the Football Night in America crew and much more lives on @SNFonNBC, the real-time engine for NBC’s year-round NFL coverage.
- SNF ON FACEBOOK: With more than 3.5 million followers, SNF’s Facebook page is the hub of football conversation. It’s the place to converse and engage with fellow fans on the latest news and action across the NFL.
- NBC SPORTS ON TIKTOK: NBC Sports’ presence on TikTok puts the spotlight on the offbeat and exuberant side of the National Football League for a young, highly-engaged audience.
NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS
NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Washington will again deliver extensive multiplatform coverage of the 2021 NFL season, led by comprehensive live gameday shows, in-depth news, analysis and commentary programming, and multimedia digital content covering the teams in their respective markets.
canVS
NBC Sports invites fans to paint a path to Super Bowl LVI with SNF canVS, a season-long interactive art campaign, which began at the 2021 NFL Kickoff game and continues at each Sunday Night Football game throughout the season.
Each week in the city of the SNF matchup, local artists will create a five-yard long mural inspired by fan input that epitomizes the fanbase’s love for their team. This Saturday’s featured artist is Lena McCarthy.
At the end of the season, each of the 20 five-yard murals will come together to create a 100-yard masterpiece showcasing the painted pride that captures the devotion and passion of fans. Click here for more details.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood stars in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Shot at Industrial Light & Magic’s cutting edge LED sound stage utilizing the company’s StageCraft LED virtual production technology recently used in “The Mandalorian,” the 2021 Sunday Night Football show open for the first time will feature a virtual football tailgate as a backdrop for Underwood’s performance of “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.”
In addition, the show open will highlight user-generated cameos from some of the NFL’s biggest stars, as well as fans’ self-recorded video from NFL tailgates.
NBC’S SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IS PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S NO. 1 SHOW FOR RECORD 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS: NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished the 2020-21 TV season as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year – adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official 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 11th consecutive TV season.
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| Sun. Oct. 3 | Week 4 | Tampa Bay Bucs at New England Patriots | ||
| *Sun. Oct. 10 | Week 5 | Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs | ||
| *Sun. Oct. 17 | Week 6 | Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| *Sun. Oct. 24 | Week 7 | Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers | ||
| *Sun. Oct. 31 | Week 8 | Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings | ||
| *Sun. Nov. 7 | Week 9 | Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Rams | ||
| *Sun. Nov. 14 | Week 10 | Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders | ||
| *Sun. Nov. 21 | Week 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers | ||
| **Thurs. Nov. 25 | Week 12 | Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints | ||
| *Sun. Nov. 28 | Week 12 | Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens | ||
| *Sun. Dec. 5 | Week 13 | San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks | ||
| *Sun. Dec. 12 | Week 14 | Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers | ||
| *Sun. Dec. 19 | Week 15 | New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ||
| *Sun. Dec. 26 | Week 16 | Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys | ||
| *Sun. Jan. 2 | Week 17 | Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers | ||
| *Sun. Jan. 9 | Week 18 | TBD | ||
*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING:
Flexible scheduling will be used in Weeks 11-18. Additionally, in Weeks 5-10, flexible scheduling may be used in no more than two weeks. In Weeks 5-17, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time.
For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives “surprise” teams a chance to play their way into primetime.
–SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL–
