A major network’s primetime NFL coverage might look different in 2026.
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, NBC is planning to “revamp” its “Football Night in America” pregame show ahead of Sunday Night Football, which routinely features some of the season’s biggest and most-watched games.
Full details about NBC’s pending changes weren’t reported, but Marchand noted that Hall of Fame coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy is “likely out” as a regular on the show.
Dungy, a native of Jackson, is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts head coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Alongside Rodney Harrison, Dungy has been a staple on NBC since he joined the network after retiring from coaching in 2019.
Notably, NBC is reportedly considering bringing the show fully on the road next season. In the past, the network has had Dungy, Jac Collinsworth and Harrison in stadiums while personalities like Maria Taylor, Chris Simms, Jason Garrett, Devin McCourty and Mike Florio have been in studio.
Marchand noted that the changes are preliminary and that NBC could change its mind.
NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” averaged 23.5 million viewers in 2025, putting it on pace to be the top-ranked show in primetime for the 15th straight year.
Notably, NBC’s two most-watched games were not on Sunday night. The NFL Kickoff game between the Cowboys and Eagles averaged 28.3 million on Sept 4, and 27.9 million watched the Bengals beat the Ravens in Joe Burrow’s return from injury on Thanksgiving night.
Eight games averaged at least 25 million, the NFL reported previously with the most-watched Sunday night game featuring the Lions and Chiefs on Oct. 12 when 27.4 million tuned in.
Brandon Champion is a reporter on MLive’s statewide trending team based in Grand Rapids. He writes about a variety of topics, but mostly crime and courts in Metro Detroit, Northern Michigan and the Upper…
