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NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast from Soldier Field omitted the national anthem before the Bears game, according to OutKick’s report. NBC did not respond to the outlet’s questions by publication, so the reason for the omission remains unknown.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast from Chicago’s Soldier Field did not show the national anthem before the Bears game, OutKick reported, describing the omission as notable during the NFL’s Salute to Service campaign and the week of Veterans Day. NBC had not explained the decision by the time of the report, leaving unclear whether the anthem was omitted from the broadcast by editorial choice or for another reason.
OutKick said viewers saw the broadcast’s introduction with Cris Collinsworth and Noah Eagle, followed by a pregame interview with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. The report then described an aerial view of the field as flag bearers carried a large folded American flag into a stadium tunnel. It said the broadcast did not show the anthem performance.
The report noted that NBC did air the program’s show anthem featuring Carrie Underwood and covered the trade of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Bears. Those details distinguish the missing national anthem from other musical or game-related material in the pregame coverage; they do not establish why NBC left the anthem out.
OutKick said it contacted NBC executive vice president of communications Greg Hughes and senior vice president of communications Chris McCloskey for an explanation. Neither had responded as of publication, according to the outlet. The report also said some viewers discussed the omission on social media, but did not provide a systematic measure of audience reaction.
An Omission During Salute to Service Week
The timing gave the broadcast decision added visibility. The game was played at Soldier Field, and the report placed it three days before Veterans Day, during the NFL’s Salute to Service campaign. In that setting, viewers could reasonably notice the absence of a familiar pregame ceremony, particularly if they expected it to be part of the broadcast.
The immediate significance is about broadcast editorial choices, not a confirmed leaguewide policy or a change to the game itself. The report says the anthem decision is generally made by the network rather than the NFL or an individual club. Without NBC’s account, however, the reason for this specific omission cannot be established, and the incident does not by itself show that the league or Bears organization directed it.
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Who Controls Anthem Coverage
According to OutKick, whether to televise a national anthem is generally a network decision, rather than one made by the NFL or the home team. That distinction matters when interpreting the report: it points toward NBC’s broadcast as the place where the decision was made, but does not reveal who made it or what factors were considered.
The outlet also referred to an earlier Bears game this season. On Sept. 28, it said, a Chicago-based mariachi band performed an instrumental version of the anthem on ESPN and ABC as part of the team’s Hispanic Heritage Month “Vamos Bears” celebration. The report described reactions to that performance as mixed and separately noted attention to injured quarterback Caleb Williams pacing on the sideline during the anthem. That earlier coverage is context, but it does not explain NBC’s later decision.
““Neither executive had responded as of publication.””
— OutKick report
NBC Has Not Explained the Omission
The central unknown is why NBC did not show the anthem. The report did not establish whether the performance was not held, was not included in the television feed, or was left out as part of the network’s programming decisions. It also did not identify any NBC employee responsible for the choice.
OutKick’s suggestion that NBC may have sought to avoid controversy was speculation, not a confirmed explanation. The report’s references to viewer reactions on social media likewise do not establish how broadly audiences noticed or felt about the omission. No response from NBC or comment from the NFL or Bears was included in the supplied report.
A Network Response Could Clarify
The next useful development would be a response from NBC explaining whether the anthem was omitted intentionally and what informed the broadcast decision. The outlet said it had sought comment from two NBC communications executives, but did not report a reply by publication.
Until NBC or another directly involved party provides further information, the confirmed account remains limited: the broadcast did not show the national anthem, and the reason has not been established. Any claim that the omission reflected a broader NFL policy, a deliberate effort to avoid controversy, or a response to public reaction would require additional evidence.
Key Questions
Did NBC air the national anthem before the Bears game?
OutKick reported that NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast did not show the national anthem before the game at Soldier Field.
When did the broadcast take place?
The source describes the game as taking place during Veterans Day week, three days before Veterans Day. It does not give a calendar date in the supplied material.
Why did NBC omit the anthem?
The reason is not known. OutKick said two NBC communications executives had not responded to its questions by publication. The outlet’s suggestion about avoiding controversy was speculation.
Was the anthem decision made by the NFL or the Bears?
OutKick said anthem broadcast decisions are generally made by the television network, not the NFL or the club. The report did not confirm who made the specific decision for this broadcast.
Source: foxnews.com
