Priyanka Chopra To Serve As Opening Music Act For NFL Network's Thursday Night Football

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- International award winning actress and recording artist Priyanka Chopra will debut as the opening music act for NFL Network's 2013 Thursday Night Football schedule. Chopra's track "In My City" will be featured as the new theme for Thursday Night Football, premiering at the opening of each of the 13-primetime Thursday Night games. NFL Network's Thursday Night schedule kicks off September 12^th at 8:00 PM ET when the New York Jets visit the New England Patriots.

"Having grown up in both New York and Boston, two major [rival] football cities and coincidentally the two teams playing the night of my big debut, it's nothing short of surreal to be with NFL Network as the opening act for Thursday Night Football. 'In My City' was my first single, it has a very special place in my heart, and I am beyond excited to bring the amazing energy of the track to the NFL's passionate fans," said Priyanka Chopra.

"Each week for 13 weeks this season, NFL Network will move into a new and exciting city and bring fans from around the world with us for a great game. Priyanka's single 'In My City' is the perfect song to set the stage for Thursday Night Football and to welcome viewers to each city," said Mark Quenzel, the Senior Vice President of Production and Programming for NFL Network.

NFL Network's Thursday Night Football begins each week at 6:00 PM ET with the Craftsman Presents NFL Total Access Kickoff pregame show live from the stadium. The Lexus Halftime Show and the postgame show provide additional analysis live from inside the stadium each week on Thursday Night Football.

This year marks the 8^th season of live regular-season, prime-time games on NFL Network. Last year's edition of Thursday Night Football finished with a record-high per game average audience of 7.3 million viewers, marking the 4^th consecutive year that Thursday Night Football has set an all-time high viewership mark for NFL Network. Each week of the 2012 Thursday Night schedule, NFL Network's game telecast was the most-watched program on cable TV that day.

NFL Network 2013 Thursday Night Football Schedule

All games at 8:00 PM ET

• Week 2: 9/12 - New York Jets at New England Patriots
• Week 3: 9/19 - Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 4: 9/26 - San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams
• Week 5: 10/3 - Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns
• Week 6: 10/10 - New York Giants at Chicago Bears
• Week 7: 10/17 - Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
• Week 8: 10/24 - Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 9: 10/31 - Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins
• Week 10: 11/7 - Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings
• Week 11: 11/14 - Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
• Week 12: 11/21 - New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
• Week 14: 12/5 - Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 15: 12/12 - San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos

Launched on November 4, 2003, NFL Network is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this season in 2013. NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the only television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football.

Currently in more than 72 million homes, NFL Network has carriage agreements with each of the country's largest television providers including Comcast, DirecTV, DISH Network, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse. For more information, log on to www.nfl.com/nflnetwork.  NFL.com is the exclusive internet home of NFL Network.

About Priyanka Chopra:

Miss World, Actor, Recording Artist, Humanitarian, Green Crusader, Brand Ambassador... Priyanka Chopra is a multifaceted personality and one of the most recognized and applauded talents in Indian cinema. Her foray into the entertainment industry began at the age of 17 with the Miss India and Miss World titles. Priyanka has taken on acclaimed roles in many landmark films and is today acknowledged as one of the most versatile actors with many path-breaking performances to her credit.

In 2011, Priyanka began her foray into the music world when she signed a global recording deal with Interscope Records / Desi Hits / 2101 Records. She immediately began work on her first US studio album, which is produced by RedOne. America got their first taste of Priyanka with her single "In My City," featuring will.i.am, which was the premiere song for the NFL Network's Thursday Night Football series in 2012. Her recently released debut single, "Exotic," featuring Pitbull is the first single from her upcoming album, and her second single is expected to drop in November 2013. Priyanka has also descended on the Hollywood acting scene, lending her voice to Disney's Planes, which hit theaters in August.

Being an international superstar, a versatile actor, a talented singer, and a philanthropist, the rest of the world will soon be able to see, and hear, what billions globally have been so excited about for years.

SOURCE NFL