Panthers Host First Sunday Night Football Game Since 2015 Season; Makes First SNF Appearance Since 2016
Jahmyr Gibbs Totaled 164 Scrimmage Yards and Three Total Touchdowns in Lions’ Win Last Sunday; Young Leads NFL with 939 Passing Yards
Coverage Begins with Football Night in America On-Site from Bank of America Stadium at 7 p.m. ET; Followed by 8:20 p.m. ET Kickoff
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final Streams Live Immediately After This Week’s SNF Game
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 30, 2026 – No. 1 overall NFL draft picks Bryce Young and Jared Goff square off as the Carolina Panthers (1-2) host the Detroit Lions (2-1) in the Week 4 edition of Sunday Night Football. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Football Night in America, followed by kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on NBC, Peacock, and Universo.
Sunday’s matchup marks the Panthers’ first time hosting a Sunday Night Football game since their wire-to-wire 27-16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 25, 2015. Carolina also makes its first SNF appearance since visiting the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 4, 2016.
The Panthers fell to the Cleveland Browns, 28-21, on the road last weekend. Young, who leads the NFL with 939 passing yards this season, threw for 291 yards and a touchdown against the Browns. Running back Chuba Hubbard posted 110 scrimmage yards (82 rushing, 28 receiving) in the loss, while wide receiver Brycen Tremayne recorded a game-high 83 receiving yards on four catches.
The Lions defeated the New York Jets, 31-24, behind three-time Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ 164 scrimmage yards (99 rushing, 65 receiving) and three total touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving). Gibbs became just the fourth player in NFL history to record at least 150 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in four games within his first four seasons, joining Cloyce Box, Larry Johnson, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown. Gibbs also recorded his 13th career game with at least two rushing touchdowns, tying Brown, Todd Gurley and Clinton Portis for the most such games by a player under the age of 25. Goff passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns, while three-time All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught his fifth touchdown of the season, the second-most in the NFL.
Carolina and Detroit meet for the 13th time this weekend, with the Panthers holding an 8-4 advantage in the all-time series. Carolina carries a 6-1 record at home against the Lions, whose lone road victory came in the teams’ first meeting on Oct. 24, 1999. The teams last faced each other in Week 5 of the 2023 season, when Detroit earned a 42-24 victory at Ford Field in the first matchup between Goff and Young. Goff recorded 236 passing yards and four total touchdowns (three passing and one rushing), while Young threw for 247 yards and three scores.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), and Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) will call Lions-Panthers. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay is the rules analyst for all NFL games on NBC and Peacock.
Coverage begins with Football Night in America live on-site from Bank of America Stadium at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The pregame show will feature host Maria Taylor, joined by Super Bowl‑winning former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty, and NFL insider Mike Florio. Chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports Steve Kornacki will join FNIA from the studio in Stamford, Conn.
NBC’s coverage of Sunday Night Football is led by coordinating producer Rob Hyland and director Drew Esocoff. SNF has won a record 12 Sports Emmys for Outstanding Live Sports Series. Sam Flood is Executive Producer & President, NBC Sports Production. Fred Gaudelli is executive producer of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage.
Football Night, the most-watched studio show in sports since its debut in 2006, begins every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The coordinating producer of FNIA is Matt Casey. FNIA is directed by Sean Page.
PEACOCK SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FINAL
Peacock Sunday Night Football Final, an NFL post-game show produced by NBC Sports, streams exclusively on Peacock following every Sunday Night Football game during the 2026 season. Hosted from the game site by Jac Collinsworth alongside Devin McCourty and Jason Garrett, the show will feature instant reaction to each Sunday game, along with highlights and interviews. Mike Florio provides injury and news updates.
NBC SPORTS TO PRESENT 26 NFL GAMES IN 2026
On NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports will present 22 regular-season games – 18 regular-season Sunday Night Football games, NFL Kickoff 2026, and the annual Thanksgiving night game and a late afternoon Week 17 game at 4:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 2, 2027, plus a primetime Week 17 Peacock exclusive game on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027. NBC Sports will present three postseason games on NBC and Peacock – two Wild Card games, including one in primetime on Sunday night, Jan. 17, and one Divisional Playoff game on the weekend of January 23-24. NBC Sports also presented the preseason-opening Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6.
PEACOCK TO STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES THIS SEASON
Peacock will once again stream all NBC NFL games, including the playoffs, and the Football Night in America studio show. The exclusive Peacock Sunday Night Football Final returns with expanded postgame coverage following SNF each week. Peacock will be the exclusive national home of an NFL Week 17 game in primetime on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027, immediately following an NFL game at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. NBC stations in competing team cities will also broadcast the Peacock exclusive game.
Peacock features a slate of sports talk content NFL fans can enjoy on the NBC Sports channel, which is free to stream. Shows include The Dan Patrick Show, PFT Live, Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Not So Fast with Pabst & Perloff, and The Dan Le Batard Show.
To learn more about the NFL on Peacock, including how to watch and sign up, click here.
NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP TO LIVE STREAM ALL NBC NFL GAMES
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC games to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts.
TELEMUNDO DEPORTES TO PRESENT ENTIRE NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Telemundo Deportes will again provide exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the entire NBC Sunday Night Football package and three playoff games across Telemundo/Universo and Peacock. Games will also be available on live stream via the Telemundo app.
CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED – WEEKDAYS AT 4 P.M. ET ON NBC SPORTS NOW AND PEACOCK
Chris Simms returns for the 2026 NFL season with his unfiltered analysis, fresh perspective, insider knowledge, and signature humor as he breaks down the NFL like no one else can on Chris Simms Unbuttoned. From deep-dive game analysis to player rankings, expert picks, and much more, Simms and co-host Connor Rogers always keep the show unfiltered and entertaining. The show is available to stream on Peacock on weekdays and is also available in podcast form here.
NBC Sports NOW, a free 24/7 streaming channel offering daily sports talk shows, live sports and highlights, is available via Peacock, the NBC Sports app on mobile and tablet devices, and all major FAST Channel distributors, including the Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus. NBC Sports NOW’s weekday programming features PFT Live (7-9 a.m. ET), The Dan Patrick Show (9 a.m.-Noon ET), Not So Fast with Pabst & Perloff (Noon-1 p.m. ET), The Dan Le Batard Show (1-4 p.m. ET), Chris Simms Unbuttoned (4-5 p.m. ET), and various NBC Sports Voices (6-7 p.m. ET).
PFT LIVE – WEEKDAYS AT 7 A.M. ET ON NBC SPORTS NOW AND PEACOCK
Mike Florio brings fans the latest NFL news and interviews with players and coaches every weekday morning with PFT Live streaming live on Peacock at 7 a.m. ET.
The two-hour PFT Live is known for delivering inside information and comprehensive analysis from an independent perspective. The show covers all the latest news around the league, breaks down reports and rumors, and features interviews with players, coaches, and executives.
ROTOWORLD
NBC Sports’ Rotoworld offers comprehensive fantasy football and betting coverage throughout the 2026 NFL season across NBC Sports’ fantasy sports platforms. The 2026 Rotoworld Fantasy Football Draft Kit provides a destination for fantasy players to receive the best insights and analysis. Additionally, exclusive content from Rotoworld’s team of expert analysts is available now on NBC Sports’ Fantasy homepage. Click here for more information.
PODCASTS
NBC Sports’ football podcasts provide extensive weekly offerings from NBC Sports’ most popular personalities and present special guests, exclusive interviews, and robust conversations across all of football on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, PFT Live, Rotoworld Football Show, along with college football on Rushing the Field.
Chris Simms Unbuttoned and PFT Live dive into deep conversations around the sports’ hottest topics, and Rotoworld Football Show explores fantasy implications for fans. New episodes of NBC Sports podcasts are available for download each week on all major podcast platforms including: NBCSports.com/podcasts, iHeart, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SOCIAL MEDIA
With millions of followers across all major social media platforms, @SNFonNBC leverages NBC’s primetime entertainment-centric legacy to engage avid and casual fans with accessible, best-in-class content - showcasing the talent, production, and prestige that makes Sunday Night Football can’t-miss.
Follow us on social media:
· @SNFonNBC on Instagram, Facebook, and X
· @NBCSports on TikTok
NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS
NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, and NBC Sports Philadelphia will again deliver extensive multiplatform coverage of the 2026 NFL season, led by comprehensive live gameday shows, in-depth news, analysis and commentary programming, and multimedia digital content covering the teams in their respective markets.
SNF SHOW OPEN STARRING CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Multi-platinum, 8-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood stars in the show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the 14th consecutive season.
In the latest evolution of SNF’s show opens since 2013, the year of Underwood’s debut, this year’s edition features scenes in three distinct locations – the recording studio, an intimate setting in a small music venue, and a concert performance in a packed stadium.
SNF IS TELEVISION’S NO. 1 PRIMETIME SHOW FOR RECORD 15TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR: NBC’s Sunday Night Football finished the 2025-26 TV season as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 15th consecutive year – adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Sunday Night Football also ranked as the No. 1 primetime show in every major metric and demographic. For more information, click here.
| 2026 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE | ||
| Sun. Oct. 4 | Week 4 | Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers |
| *Sun. Oct. 11 | Week 5 | Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons |
| *Sun. Oct. 18 | Week 6 | Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers |
| *Sun. Oct. 25 | Week 7 | Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks |
| *Sun. Nov. 1 | Week 8 | Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders |
| *Sun. Nov. 8 | Week 9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears |
| *Sun. Nov. 15 | Week 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals |
| #Sun. Nov. 22 | Week 11 | Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers |
| **Thurs. Nov. 26 | Week 12 | Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills |
| *Sun. Nov. 29 | Week 12 | New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers |
| *Sun. Dec. 6 | Week 13 | Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers |
| *Sun. Dec. 13 | Week 14 | Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers |
| *Sun. Dec. 20 | Week 15 | Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings |
| *Sun. Dec. 27 | Week 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys |
| Sat. Jan. 2 (4:30 p.m. ET) | Week 17 | From Saturday Pool |
| Sat. Jan. 2 | Week 17 | *PEACOCK EXCLUSIVE* From Sat. Pool |
| *Sun. Jan. 3 | Week 17 | Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers |
| *Sun. Jan. 10 | Week 18 | NFL #Game272 – TBD |
# NFL International Game in Mexico City
*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
Click here for more information on this year’s Sunday Night Football schedule.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: This season, “flexible scheduling” for NBC’s Sunday Night Football may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, and in the NFL’s discretion during Weeks 11-17. During these flex scheduling windows, the games initially scheduled for NBC Sunday Night Football are tentatively scheduled and subject to change. Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the initially scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to Sunday afternoon. As in prior seasons, for Week 18, the final weekend of the season, the scheduling of the Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday night games is not assigned. Specific dates, start times, and networks for Week 18 matchups will be determined and announced following the conclusion of Week 17. For more information about NFL Flexible Scheduling, please visit https://www.nfl.com/schedules/flexible-scheduling-procedures
--SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL--
