NBC Skips National Anthem Before Bears Game

NBC's "Sunday Night Football" broadcast omitted the national anthem from its pre-game coverage, a decision that drew attention given its proximity to Veterans Day and the NFL's "Salute to Service" campaign. The broadcast, which typically features the anthem before kickoff, instead showed a player interview and field imagery. This editorial choice by the network has raised questions, especially as executives have not yet provided an explanation.

This incident follows a separate occasion earlier in the season where a mariachi band performed an instrumental version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a Chicago Bears game, which also generated mixed reactions. The decision to broadcast the national anthem rests with the network, not the NFL or individual teams. As of the report, NBC executives have not commented on why the anthem was excluded from this recent broadcast.