NFL on NBC Radio From 1985 - 1986 , the NBC Radio Network was the official , national radio provider for National Football League games . The program succeeded ( and was itself , ultimately succeeded by ) the CBS Radio Network ' s package . Background . On March 6 , 1985 , NBC Radio and the National Football League entered into a two year agreement granting NBC the radio rights to a 37 - game package in each of the 1985 - 1986 seasons . The package included 27 regular season games and 10 postseason games . Prior to 1985 . On April 5 , 1961 , NBC was awarded a two - year contract for radio and television rights to the NFL Championship Game for $ 615 , 000 annually , $ 300 , 000 of which was to go directly into the NFL Player Benefit Plan . From the 1966 - 1976 seasons , NBC Radio alternated with CBS Radio in coverage of the Super Bowl . After sharing coverage of Super Bowl I , NBC Radio would go on to broadcast only odd numbered Super Bowls . Jim Simpson served as the play - by - play man for all of NBC Radio ' s broadcasts ( with the exceptions of Super Bowl III , which was called by Charlie Jones and Super Bowl V , which was called by Jay Randolph ) during this era . Simpson , Jones and Randolph were joined on color commentary by George Ratterman ( Super Bowls I and III ) , Pat Summerall ( Super Bowl III ) , Al DeRogatis ( Super Bowl V ) , Kyle Rote ( Super Bowl VII ) , and John Brodie ( Super Bowls IX and XI ) . For their coverage of Super Bowl III at the end of the 1968 season , NBC used Pat Summerall ( best known for his work for CBS and subsequently , Fox ) to provide an " NFL prospective " on the coverage . This was due in part to the fact that NBC was at the time , the network television provider of the American Football League ( whereas CBS was the network television provider for the pre - merger National Football League ) . In return , for CBS Radio ' s coverage of Super Bowls I , II and IV , they used Tom Hedrick , normally the radio voice of the Kansas City Chiefs , to provide an " AFL perspective " for their coverage . Ratings . In January 1986 , NBC Radio figures indicated an audience of 10 million for their coverage Super Bowl XX between the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots . In 1987 , NBC Radio ' s broadcast of Super Bowl XXI between the New York Giants and Denver Broncos was heard by a record 10 . 1 million people . Announcers . Play - by - play . Besides calling Super Bowls XX and XXI , Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy commentated " Monday Night Football " games . Color commentary . Bob Trumpy also hosted a national , postgame call - in show called " NFL Live " . " NFL Live " would officially become the name of the pregame show for the " NFL on NBC " television program . NBC ' s later relationship with the NFL . NBC Radio was bought by Westwood One shortly after losing NFL rights ; Westwood One has owned the rights ( either alone or in conjunction with CBS ) ever since . Westwood One ( along with its NFL rights ) was acquired by Dial Global in 2011 , and following the 2011 postseason Dial Global retired the Westwood One branding . In 2012 , Dial Global announced it would be the distributor for NBC Sports Radio programming once the network launched in 2013 , but has yet to make an announcement regarding whether or not the NFL coverage will assume NBC branding or keep the CBS branding ( as it currently is ) . The former Westwood One had a long - standing relationship with CBS Radio . CBS ' parent company owned the network for approximately ten years ( 1998 – 2008 ) and , through the CBS Radio Network , maintained control of the production of certain programming , including NFL games , an arrangement that continued following Westwood One ' s acquisition by Dial Global through the end of the 2011 NFL season . Westwood One now acknowledges the NBC Radio broadcasts as part of the entire history of the network ' s football coverage . " NBC NFL Sunday " . In 2006 , the NBC television network , resumed their National Football League coverage ( under the " NBC Sunday Night Football " umbrella ) for the first time since losing the American Football Conference package to CBS after the 1997 season . As part of the relaunch of their coverage , NBC became a co - producer of Westwood One ' s radio pregame / highlight show " NFL Sunday " , adding the network ' s name to the coverage and turning it into an abbreviated radio version of " Football Night in America " . Al Trautwig hosted the show for the first several weeks of the season before being taken off the coverage for unspecified reasons . Chris Carlin subbed for Trautwig for a week before Scott Graham took over the hosting duties and continued to helm the show for the remainder of the season . In addition to the typical " NFL Sunday " score rundown and preview of the game ahead , NBC analysts ( usually Jerome Bettis or Cris Collinsworth ) would provide commentary . After the 2006 season , Westwood One returned " NFL Sunday " to its previous format and ended the co - production arrangement with NBC .