Carrie Underwood, the NFL, NBC + More Sued Over ‘Sunday Night Football’ Theme Song
Carrie Underwood, her producer Mark Bright, the National Football League and TV network NBC are among those being sued by another artist over the Sunday Night Football theme song "Game On." Another artist claims her song of the same name is similar and is suing for copyright infringement.
According to the Blast, singer-songwriter Heidi Merrill says she and three other songwriters wrote a song called "Game On" in late 2016; readers can press play above to hear it. Merrill says she uploaded the song to YouTube in March of 2017, and that the song was featured on a CBS Inside College Basketball broadcast.
Merrill also says that she attended a conference in Nashville that August, during which she pitched the song to producer Mark Bright. According to Merrill, Bright asked her to send the song to his assistant; she did, and, a couple of months later, received an email passing on using the song.
Country Music's Nastiest Lawsuits
Underwood co-wrote her song "Game On," which premiered as Sunday Night Football's new theme song in September of 2018, with Chris DeStefano and Brett James, and Bright co-produced the song with DeStefano. However, Merrill says in her lawsuit, the two songs are "substantially — even strikingly — similar, if not identical" (quote via the Blast).
According to TMZ, Merrill's lawsuit accuses Underwood, Bright, the NFL, NBC and others of copyright infringement; however, what she's seeking in terms of monetary compensation is not listed. The Boot has reached out to Underwood's representatives for comment and will update this story as more details are made available.
Merrill's website describes her music as pop meets country meets rock, and notes that the Nebraska native "plans to release more upbeat, stadium-style music in 2018," following the release of "Game On." She released an album, Home Grown, in October of 2015.
Country Stars Who Have Played Football