Behind the Scenes: NBC Sports Gears Up for NFL Kickoff

Sunday Night Football, the No. 1 primetime show on television, kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 10, when the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The NFL opens the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with NFL Kickoff 2017 on NBC, as the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots host the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with a special edition of Football Night in America.

Sunday Night Football, the No. 1 primetime show on television, kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 10, when the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Sunday night opener marks the 11th meeting between the Giants and Cowboys in NBC’s SNF package – the most-played matchup in the show’s history (since 2006). Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

Calling both matchups is Al Michaels (play-by-play), in his record 32nd season as the voice of the NFL’s premier primetime package; 16-time Emmy Award-winner Cris Collinsworth; and two-time Emmy Award-winning sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. NBC’s coverage of NFL Kickoff 2017 and Sunday Night Football is led executive producer Fred Gaudelli and Emmy Award-winning director Drew Esocoff. Sunday Night Football has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series in eight of the last nine years.

For the second year in a row, country music superstar Carrie Underwood will perform Oh, Sunday Night, the opening theme for Sunday Night Football. The 2017 edition will debut on Sunday, Sept. 10, prior to NBC’s first SNF broadcast of the 2017 NFL season. This marks the second season that Oh, Sunday Night will serve as the theme for Sunday Night Football.