NBCUniversal Books Record $7 B Upfront on Surge in Sports Ads

NBCUniversal said it has completed negotiations for the 2025-26 U.S. upfront advertising market, securing commitments that executives expect to top $7 billion, the company’s highest haul in three years. Live sports accounted for the bulk of the demand, with commitments tied to upcoming broadcasts of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the first season of the NBA’s return to NBC driving a 45 percent jump in sports advertising revenue. The media group, owned by Comcast, added that Peacock generated about one-third of total upfront volume after a 20 percent increase in digital sales, marking the streaming service’s largest upfront to date. Telemundo also booked record commitments as advertisers locked in spots for the Spanish-language World Cup coverage. Advertisers are already paying a premium for NBC’s marquee events. Industry buyers say the network has been asking roughly $8 million for a 30-second commercial in Super Bowl LX—up from the $7 million units it sold during the spring upfront—and is seeking matching spends across other sports properties. The higher pricing underscores continued advertiser appetite for live sports, one of the few television genres that still reliably delivers mass audiences.