History AwesomeMusic / Sports

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3j7rvNfvTU "Evolve"]], the official song of the [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity Evolution Championship Series]], the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. Its closing beat combined with vocalist Kanami's OneWomanWail serves as the theme for the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoGZ0o9XvCg intro bumpers]] on Evo streams, and cuts of the song were used as a part of Creator/{{ESPN}}'s coverage of Evo 2016.
** And in 2022, with Evo's return to offline play after the COVID-19 pandemic and reorganzing under new management, the themed was remixed into "[[https://youtu.be/95AM6ltHMvY Evolve Infinity]]", a new take signaling a fresh start for the venerable tournament.

* The instrumental [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUFF5A766K0 theme]] for Channel 9's cricket broadcasts is short, but awesome.
** As is the 2000's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch88TE4_exc rock version]].

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3j7rvNfvTU "Evolve"]], the official song of the [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity Evolution Championship Series]], the biggest fighting game tournament in the world. Its closing beat combined with vocalist Kana's OneWomanWail serves as the theme for the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoGZ0o9XvCg intro bumpers]] on Evo streams, and cuts of the song were used as a part of Creator/{{ESPN}}'s coverage of Evo 2016.

** Think the Music/JayZ and Rihanna mashup was great? Super Bowl XLVII takes it UpToEleven when E.S. Posthumus [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgAt6aTGgyw gets mashed]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n8a0JNtBDg up with]] '''Music/{{Queen}}'''.

** The Fox Footy theme from 2017 onwards [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo8GX0ycnWs goes pretty hard]].
*** The Jim Moynihan remix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q09cLsFm2MY is on the same level]].

** As is the 2000's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdL69KsEZuU rock version]].

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RthzhKDglQ NBA on CBS]] theme from the 1980s.

* CBS Sports has had several other examples, among them [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BxwadDZYEY their 1981-85 NFL theme]], their 1976 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBKFbc7sRis NFL Today theme]], the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8kA4AvgbD4 1983 updated version]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKFUs1ZvGtg the "Pots and Pans" theme used between 1986-88]], the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOFfkNwfaYc theme used from the 1992 Super Bowl until CBS lost NFL coverage, then revived for the first five years after regaining NFL coverage]], their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VKkx1C3n38 1983-88 NBA theme]], their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95kTST5KtLw 1990-93 MLB theme]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LjU0VTNTb0 "One Shining Moment", used to close every NCAA basketball championship game since 1987]], and last but not least, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MG5paemBYA their Super Bowl XXI theme which has been used as their college football theme since 1987]]. Helmut Vonlichten has done other particularly epic CBS Sports themes, including its U.S. Open and PGA Championship themes.

* "Three Lions" by The Lightning Seeds, Frank Skinner, and David Baddiel, so much so that the line "Football's Coming Home" (especially during England's Euro '96 campaign, held on English soil, and where they went out in the semis, on penalties) can be heard at most England matches these days, and the song consistently charts every World Cup and European Championship[[note]]it made it to [=No1=] in 2018, when World Cup fever swept the country as a result of them making the World Cup semifinal and reappeared in the top five as a result of their appearance in the Euro 2020 Final[[/note]], in some cases consigning the official song to obscurity.

* Great Britain may never have been a skiing superpower[[note]]its first snow-based Winter Olympic medal came in 2014 (one came in 2002, but was rescinded after using a nasal decongestant whose American formulation - unlike its European counterpart - contained a banned substance) and won its first Alpine skiing World Cup event in 2022[[/note]], but that didn't stop the BBC - naturally, going by the number of its appearances on this page - choosing to use [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIfO_QQWD1g "Pop Looks Bach" by Sam Fonteyn]] for its ''Ski Sunday'' programme and coverage of the Winter Olympics (until 2006).

* "Three Lions" by The Lightning Seeds, Frank Skinner, and David Baddiel, so much so that the line "Football's Coming Home" (especially during England's Euro '96 campaign, held on English soil, and where they went out in the semis, on penalties) can be heard at most England matches these days, and the song consistently charts every World Cup, in some cases consigning the official song to obscurity.

* Great Britain may never have been a skiing superpower, but that didn't stop the BBC - naturally, going by the number of its appearances on this page - choosing to use [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIfO_QQWD1g "Pop Looks Bach" by Sam Fonteyn]] for its ''Ski Sunday'' programme and coverage of the Winter Olympics (until 2006).

[[AC:Cycling]]
* The network that was at the time the Outdoor Life Network was an otherwise-niche channel dedicated mostly to hunting and fishing shows, but also happened to have the rights to the Tour de France when Lance Armstrong came along, which was the primary factor in them later becoming a sports-centric network called Versus, and then later a branch of NBC in NBCSN. By the mid-2000's, they'd tapped the Finnish band Apocalyptica to do their [[https://youtu.be/9ODFlS7mst4?t=1091 Tour theme]], called "Tour de Crash".
* In 2011, as Versus, they [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CN2c4qA7xs unveiled one]] by Cody Westheimer that, as of 2021, still stands.

* ''This Week in Baseball'' had a great opening theme ("[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqi8Qh6jmk4 Jet Set]]", originally composed for the NBC game show ''Series/{{Jackpot}}'') and closing theme ("[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBeD74f5_6w Gathering Crowds]]").

* The Creator/CBC's coverage has typically used an original theme, which is remixed for each Games to suit the host country. For instance, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5evwroutTc Athens 2004]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiGsgNjUv64 Tokyo 2020]] versions.

* "World in Union", which has been the theme song for every Rugby World Cup since 1991.

* Leo Arnaud's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IizWc4cJwbw "Bugler's Dream"]]. Though not made for the Olympics, it has played in every American Olympic broadcast since 1968, and is only one of two non-John Williams themes NBC plays during the Olympics (the latter being the theme of the short-lived ''Series/TheAdventuresOfBriscoCountyJr''). As theme music, NBC traditionally uses it in a medley followed by Music/JohnWilliams' "Olympic Fanfare and Theme".

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1G5jjMtyEc theme music]] used in 2010 and 2012 by the CTV[=/=]Rogers coverage was also effective, but also had an AwardBaitSong version ("I Believe") that was used as an ImageSong in [[MostAnnoyingSound just about every promo]] for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

* Almost every TV broadcast of the Olympics qualifies.

* Almost every TV broadcast of the Olympics qualifies. For example, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1G5jjMtyEc CTV's 2010/2012 theme]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5evwroutTc CBC's coverage of Athens 2004]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz-ksHcR_9A NBC's coverage of Beijing 2008]].

* Unfortunately, "I Believe", the official vocal version of CTV's theme, was an AwardBaitSong that ended up becoming annoying since it was played in exactly every other promo for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Thankfully, it wasn't used as much for London.

* Some of the most stirring and epic music comes from the soundtracks of NFL Films -- especially those composed by Tom Hedden, David Robidoux, and Sam Spence. Perhaps the crowning example is Spence's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY1b2CzlELs "The Equalizer"]]; listen also to the even more CrazyAwesome [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxUxeaE5LW0 Da Riffs Remix]].

* There's a good reason [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg4zFxyeLMQ the current TNT theme]] by Trevor Rabin (who also was in the band Yes) has been used by NBA on TNT since 2003. The epic sounds made in the introduction when TNT begins their showcase, followed by the nice orchestral style tones to show how inviting the TNT cast of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal, always are from one season to the next.

* There's a good reason [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg4zFxyeLMQ the current TNT theme]] by Trevor Rabin (who also was in the band Yes) has been used by NBA on TNT since 2003. The epic sounds made in the introduction when TNT begins their showcase, followed by the nice orchestral style tones to show how inviting the TNT cast of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and the most recent addition to the crew, Shaquille O'Neal, always are from one season to the next.

* There's a good reason [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg4zFxyeLMQ the current theme]] by Trevor Rabin has been used by NBA on TNT since 2003. The epic sounds made in the introduction when TNT begins their showcase, followed by the nice orchestral style tones to show how inviting the TNT cast of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal always are from one season to the next. The fact that it was also created by Trevor Rabin (who also was in the band Yes) is just an extra bonus at hand.

%%* There's a good reason [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg4zFxyeLMQ the current theme]] by Trevor Rabin has been used by NBA on TNT since 2003.
%%Which is?

** From the same documentary, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VgoJOtiB9A "Vengeance"]] by Zack Hemsey embodies the last moments of that championship season for the Bulls, including the final shot by Michael Jordan and the last play not long afterward, that really capped off the awesome documentary of those Bulls teams from the 1990's up until Jordan' second retirement in 1998.

** There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg4zFxyeLMQ the current theme]] made by Trevor Rabin that NBA on TNT has used since 2003, and there's good reason for why it's been around since that long to this very day.

*** While on the topic of "The Last Dance" documentary, the song named [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VgoJOtiB9A "Vengeance"]] by Zack Hemsey that perfect encapsulated the last moments of that championship season for the Bulls, including the final shot by Michael Jordan and the last play not long afterward, that really capped off the awesome documentary of those Bulls teams from the 1990's up until Jordan' second retirement in 1998.

* The intro for the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pnl1ulaG5k NBA on NBC.]] The song is called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW9o6BSCLw4 Roundball Rock]]", written by John Tesh of all people. After they lost the NBA to ESPN, the fans nostalgically rejoiced when NBC revived it for their coverage of basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics. "Roundball Rock" has since had a resurgence thanks to [[WebVideo/UrinatingTree UrinatingTree]] using it as the theme for his "Tank Bowl" segments of his "This Week In Sportsball" videos. He himself even calls the song an EarWorm in the comments of said video! The theme also made its way to Fox for their college basketball telecasts in the late 2010s.[[note]]When ABC/ESPN picked up NBA coverage from NBC in 2002, Tesh offered to let the Disney-owned networks use "Roundball Rock" as their theme. They declined.[[/note]]

** The opening theme, as sung by Faith Hill (and, earlier, P!nk), was done ToTheTuneOf "I Hate Myself For Loving You" by Music/JoanJett. The current Music/CarrieUnderwood theme is a reworking of her song "Somethin' Bad". The lyrics are changed every week to fit the players. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ac5W20NiQ An example]]. Not to mention the gratuitous ProductPlacement.

*** While on the topic of "The Last Dance" documentary, the song named [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VgoJOtiB9A "Vengeance"]] by Zack Hemsey that perfect encapsulated the last moments of that champion season for the Bulls, including the final shot by Michael Jordan and the last play not long afterward, that really capped off the awesome documentary of those Bulls teams from the 1990's up until Jordan' second retirement in 1998.

* The Chicago Bulls begin every home game by blaring [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkC_oi0ksuw "Sirius"]] by Music/TheAlanParsonsProject through the United Center speakers. It leaves an impression, especially when combined with the PA announcement: [[LargeHam "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND NOW, THE STARTING LINEUP FOR YOUR CHICAGO BULLS!"]] So much so, in fact, that their official YouTube channel also includes the mention of it being the Chicago Bulls' theme song for the song itself, like even they know how impactful it really is. A few other NBA franchises used it also for their starting line-up introductions, including the Phoenix Suns throughout the 1990's and early 2000's, but there's a reason why most people know it for the Jordan Bulls.