NBC Sunday Night Football
Weekly NFL prime-time broadcast on NBC since 2006.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
NBC Sunday Night Football (SNF) is a weekly prime-time NFL broadcast that airs on NBC and Peacock in the United States. Its first game was the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 6, 2006, which opened that year’s preseason. NBC acquired the Sunday night rights through new NFL broadcast contracts, not directly from ESPN. At the same time, ESPN took over Monday Night Football after ABC dropped it; ABC later brought it back in 2020 as a simulcast of ESPN's broadcast. Before this, NBC had aired American Football League and later American Football Conference games from 1965 until 1997, when CBS took over those rights.
During the 2011–12 season, SNF became the first sports program to top Nielsen’s annual list of the most-watched shows on American network television, ending an eight-year streak held by *American Idol* (which had led since 2004). SNF repeated this feat for four consecutive seasons starting with 2013–14, and also topped the list in 2011–12.
When NBC took over the Sunday prime-time slot, Al Michaels, John Madden, Fred Gaudelli, and Drew Esocoff moved from ABC’s *Monday Night Football* to the same roles: play-by-play announcer, color commentator, lead producer, and director, respectively. Madden retired before the 2009 season, and Cris Collinsworth replaced him. Mike Tirico took over from Michaels after Super Bowl LVI in February 2022.
Since 2014, NBC’s sister cable channel Universo has carried Spanish-language simulcasts of selected games, following years of failed attempts to simulcast on Telemundo. Like other NFL broadcast partners, NBC provides a Spanish-language audio feed via second audio program (SAP), which was previously labeled “provided by Telemundo” before that entity’s sports division rebranded to Telemundo Deportes. After mun2 relaunched as Universo on February 1, 2015, the channel began carrying the full season starting in 2015 and simulcast Super Bowl XLIX. Telemundo itself started airing Spanish-language broadcasts of select playoff games and the Super Bowl in 2021, beginning with an NFL Wild Card game, and broadcast Super Bowl LVI in 2022. More recently, TeleXitos has functioned as a near-simulcast of Universo programming, including the football broadcasts.
**Studio show**
NBC’s broadcast starts at 7 p.m. Eastern with a pre-game show that runs until kickoff (typically around 8:20 p.m. Eastern).
Quick Facts
- Genre
- American football game telecasts
- Director
- Drew Esocoff
- Theme Music Composer
- John Williams (2006–2011) & Joel Beckerman (Super Bowl XLVI–present) (main theme)
- Open Theme
- "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" by Carrie Underwood (2013–present)
- Composer
- Joan Jett / Desmond Child
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 20 (through 2025 season)
- Num Episodes
- 402 (list of episodes)
- Executive Producer
- Fred Gaudelli
- Producer
- Rob Hyland
- Location
- Various NFL stadiums (game telecasts and Super Bowl pre-game, halftime and post-game shows) / NBC Sports Headquarters / Stamford, Connecticut (pre-game, halftime and post-game shows)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
NBC Sunday Night Football began with the 2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, taking over the Sunday prime-time slot through new NFL broadcast contracts. The first regular season game aired on September 10, 2006, between the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants. The broadcast team initially included Al Michaels, John Madden, Fred Gaudelli, and Drew Esocoff, all of whom moved from ABC's Monday Night Football. Madden retired before the 2009 season and was succeeded by Cris Collinsworth; Mike Tirico replaced Michaels after Super Bowl LVI in February 2022.
During the 2011–12 season, SNF became the first sports program to be Nielsen's most-watched program
Reader's Guide
NBC Sunday Night Football holds significance as a cornerstone of NFL broadcasting, having taken over the Sunday prime-time slot from ESPN in 2006 and quickly becoming the most-watched program on American network television. Its flexible scheduling system allows the NFL to feature compelling matchups with playoff implications in the final weeks of the season. The program's production team and on-air talent, many of whom came from ABC's Monday Night Football, brought continuity and expertise to the broadcast. SNF has also expanded its reach through Spanish-language simulcasts on Universo and Telemundo, and through streaming on Peacock, including exclusive regular-season and playoff games. The contract ensures NBC will continue to air Super Bowls in Winter Olympic years through 2034. The show's pre-game and post-game coverage, including the Peacock Sunday Night Football Final, provide comprehensive analysis. Overall, SNF has become a key part of the NFL's weekly schedule, influencing how prime-time football is produced and consumed.
Did You Know?
- NBC Sunday Night Football began airing on August 6, 2006, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
- Al Michaels, John Madden, Fred Gaudelli, and Drew Esocoff joined SNF from ABC's Monday Night Football.
- Since 2014, Spanish-language simulcasts of select games have aired on Universo.
More in Nielsen ratings winners 1-24
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