Rumors about Carrie Underwood's NFL earnings have sparked curiosity. We fact-check her "Sunday Night Football" paycheck to reveal what's really going on behind the scenes.
Carrie Underwood’s incredible paycheck for singing the Sunday Night Football theme has finally been revealed.
For the past 12 years, the Grammy-winning country singer has been the voice behind the show’s opening. So, if you’re curious about just how much the “Waiting All Day” singer makes for SNF, keep reading!
Reports suggest that Underwood pockets a staggering $1 million every time her song is played on Sunday Night Football. Given that the NFL season spans 18 weeks, this would amount to $18 million per season.
However, Molly Vegas quickly debunked this claim with a tweet, sharing a clip from Underwood’s May 2023 interview on The Howard Stern Show.
In the clip, Underwood reacts to the $18 million figure with confusion, denying the claim.
“For me? … No. It’s pretty pro bono,” she replied. “I wish! That would be great, that would be awesome!”
In this same interview, she reiterated that she essentially provides the theme song for free. When Stern asked, “And the money ain’t bad. Is it true that you make $18 million a year ($1m per week)?” Underwood laughed and responded, “For me? No! No! It’s pretty pro bono. I wish I got that, that’d be great!”
Despite not earning anywhere near that amount, Underwood continues to sing the theme because she enjoys being part of Sunday Night Football, which draws over 20 million viewers every week.
Exactly how much she’s making per performance remains unknown, but based on her comments, it seems she’s far from hitting the rumored $1 million per week. Even if her earnings increased over time, her remark about it being “pro bono” suggests it’s more of an honor than a high-paying job.
While some believe that Underwood’s contract rivals those of NFL stars like Travis Kelce, this isn’t true, as she herself debunked the claim.
There’s no public knowledge of exactly how much she makes, but it’s not $18 million annually. Aside from her work on Sunday Night Football, Underwood has numerous sources of income.
She holds endorsement deals with major brands like Nintendo, Skechers, OLAY, Target, Almay, Hershey’s, Nicole by OPI, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Billboard ranks her as one of the highest-grossing country music stars, largely due to her touring, which has earned a whopping $273.1 million over the course of her career.
This year, Underwood kicked off her 12th season with Sunday Night Football on September 8, when the Los Angeles Rams played the Detroit Lions.
She performs a customized version of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” where the lyrics have been changed to “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.”
Of course, it’s only during football season that people might actually be excited for Sunday night. Usually, this is a time to reflect on the weekend and prepare for the week ahead—homework, errands, and setting the alarm clock. But, with a football game, the mood shifts.
More than 20 million households tune in to Sunday Night Football every week, making it the number one primetime show for 13 years running.
During most of that time, Underwood has been the voice behind the iconic intro, welcoming fans to the game.
Image Credit: jeffjohnsonimages
READ MORE: Laviska Shenault Jr. roars with the second kick return TD of 2024 season, but someone did it first
NFL 
