NBC Sunday Night Football omits national anthem
The gist
NBC's Sunday Night Football omitted the national anthem before the Chicago Bears-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game at Soldier Field.
It came during the NFL's Salute To Service week, three days before Veterans Day.
How it unfolded
- Sep 28, 2026Mariachi Herencia de Mexico performed an instrumental mariachi version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Soldier Field before a Bears Monday Night Football game on ESPN/ABC, part of the team's Hispanic Heritage Month "Vamos Bears" celebration; reactions were mixed.
- Nov 8, 2026NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast of Bears vs. Buccaneers at Soldier Field omitted the national anthem, airing a pregame Caleb Williams interview and an aerial shot of flag bearers carrying a folded field-sized flag into a tunnel instead; the broadcast did air Carrie Underwood's "show anthem."
- Nov 9, 2026OutKick reported it had contacted NBC communications executives Greg Hughes and Chris McCloskey to ask why the anthem was omitted; neither had responded as of publication.
Key terms
- Sunday Night Football
- A weekly American television broadcast of National Football League games aired on NBC in prime time on Sunday nights.
- Salute To Service
- An annual NFL honor presented by USAA recognizing exceptional support for U.S. service members, veterans and their families.
Source: Wikipedia