News

Carrie Underwood, the NFL, and NBC Sued Over “Sunday Night Football” Tune

By Russ Joy

Published: Jun 20th, 2019 · 12:48 PM EDT

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We interrupt your Sixers Draft Day coverage for this important announcement. Carrie Underwood, the National Football League, and the National Broadcasting Company have found themselves facing a lawsuit over the Sunday Night Football theme song “Game On”. A songwriting quartet allege that they had pitched their own “Game On” song to Underwood’s team in 2017 and were rejected.

Singer Heidi Merrill believes that Underwood stole not only the song, but even the title of her track, which she posted to YouTube in March of 2017. The suit includes the allegation that NBC, the NFL, and Carrie Underwood violated the copyright claim on Merrill’s version of “Game On”.

Although the music video was posted in 2017, Merrill claims to have organized the quartet of writers back in 2016 and they had sought to get a licensing deal for the song on TV broadcasts of sports telecasts.

NBC debuted Underwood’s “Game On” in September of 2018.

Check out the songs and let us know whose side you’re on after the jump:

First, Heidi Merrill’s “Game On”:

Now, Carrie Underwood’s anthem “Game On”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeJotdhLS5c

There are definitely some similarities. If the lawsuit proves Underwood violated the copyright claim on Merrill’s song, it would be the most disappointing Carrie Underwood moment since she starred in NBC’s “The Sound of Music LIVE!”.