Carrie Underwood will return for a 14th consecutive year as the performer of NBC's "Sunday Night Football" show-open anthem, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," with the announcement made on 4 August. This year's version will feature a rock-influenced reworking of the track, reflecting Underwood's own affinity for the genre, and continues her long-standing role as the face of the NFL broadcast's weekly musical introduction ahead of the 2026 season.

Underwood first took over the anthem in 2013, following Pink, who originated it in 2006, and Faith Hill, who performed it from 2007 to 2012. The new arrangement, overseen by longtime creative director Tripp Dixon, draws on the song's original inspiration from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' "I Hate Myself for Loving You." The update comes as Underwood keeps busy following her second season as an "American Idol" judge, with upcoming shows at the Grand Ole Opry; her most recent album, "Denim & Rhinestones," reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 in 2022, and she has recorded 43 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 to date.