NBC Drops 'National Anthem' from Football Broadcast

Todd Starnes : Nov 9, 2026
ToddStarnes.com

The game came three days before Veterans Day and was part of the NFL's Salute to Service campaign.

(Chicago, IL) — [ToddStarnes.com] NBC omitted the national anthem from its "Sunday Night Football" broadcast before the Chicago Bears hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field, OutKick reported. The game came three days before Veterans Day and was part of the NFL's Salute to Service campaign. (Screengrab image: via X)

The anthem was performed at the stadium, according to a Getty Images photo caption published by Yahoo Sports. NBC aired an interview with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and then showed flag bearers carrying a folded American flag into a tunnel, OutKick reported. The broadcast included Carrie Underwood's theme.

OutKick said some viewers noticed the omission on social media. It did not identify the accounts or quote their posts. The outlet said two NBC communications executives had yet to respond to questions when its report was published.

The Bears had announced "special tributes, in-game recognitions and themed elements" for Sunday's game. "Salute to Service brings our entire league together around that commitment," Anna Isaacson, the NFL's senior vice president of social responsibility, said in a statement announcing the campaign. The league said NBC would air a one-hour Salute to Service special Nov. 21.

Chicago beat Tampa Bay 27-24 on a 38-yard field goal as time expired. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here