'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgP/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMggFD//xAAfEAABBAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMFEQAEBhIUIkL/2gAIAQEAAT8AgZHjDcC4knqk7u0PkdxUidKypQL5xuR2QbEReOkSk9lz/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAwEBPwB//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sunday Night Football is a staple for NFL fans to watch the top primetime game that night after the afternoon slate of games has reached its conclusion. In the 2022-2023 season, those calling the game have changed a bit since the departure of Al Michaels, who's now at Amazon Prime. The broadcast team for the 2022-2023 season was announced by NBC back in April.
The broadcast booth has Mike Tirico, Michaels' replacement in play-by-play, alongside former NFL wide receiver Cris Collinsworth as the color commentator. Melissa Stark took the place of Michelle Tafoya, who left after last season. Stark is currently handling the sideline reporting tasks in her debut season with Sunday Night Football.
Tirico previously led the network's studio show, Football Night in America, and worked at NBC in a variety of other capacities before becoming the lead play-by-play commentator. Tirico had called 21 NFL games with Collinsworth, who is currently in his 14th season in the NBC booth, prior to the start of the NFL season.
Once the new broadcast team was announced, NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua released a statement.
Bevacqua said:
" Sunday Night Football is destination viewing and we are thrilled to have Mike, Cris and Melissa call the action and tell the stories that football fans have come to expect from primetime TV’s #1 show."
The question is why did Michaels and Tafoya leave the longtime primetime spot after Super Bowl 56.
Why did Al Michaels and Michelle Tayofa leave Sunday Night Football?
Al Michaels and his contract with NBC expired following Super Bowl 56 in February after 16 seasons with the network. In March, the NFL officially announced that the legendary announcer would become Amazon Prime's lead play-by-play commentator on "Thursday Night Football" alongside analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
Michelle Tayofa left the sideline profession for other ventures after five Super Bowls and 327 NFL games on the sidelines. She joined NBC Sports in 2011.
