Another TV upfront season is winding down, and following the pattern of previous years, NBCUniversal is the first company to close its TV upfront talks.
Today, the company told ADWEEK it had the “highest ad sales volume” in its history, with record sales commitments overall and its largest digital upfront. The growth was fueled by sports and live events, which included the addition of the NBA, as well as the growth of Peacock.
NBCUniversal did not disclose details around total dollar volume or CPMs (cost per thousand viewers reached). This is the third consecutive year that NBCU didn’t reveal CPM details. Last year, a source said the company was “very happy” with where pricing landed after it drove “modest growth across its portfolio.”
The company last disclosed its total dollar volume in 2022, when it said it had secured more than $7 billion in commitments.
According to NBCUniversal, its three major February tentpole events—the Milan Cortina Olympics, Super Bowl LX, and the FIFA World Cup—drove additional record sales to the business for its 2025-26 upfront, surpassing all three of the property’s combined previous benchmarks. The company also reported “record-breaking growth” across key advertising categories within these cultural events.
Though the company didn’t reveal pricing details, ADWEEK previously reported that NBCU had met its cap on the number of Super Bowl spots it was selling in the upfront, and the company is now looking for $8 million for a 30-second unit.
The company noted that it saw record revenue growth across key categories during this year’s upfront, including retail, restaurants, auto, travel, and financial services, which all grew by approximately 12%.
NBCU also reported that advertisers are “increasingly” moving beyond standard age and gender demos, with nearly 60% of investments now transacted on advanced audiences. Meanwhile, NBCU’s programmatic business, which has included sports and live events since 2023, has continued to see strong demand, bringing in nearly $1 billion in programmatic investments alone for the 2025-25 upfront cycle.
“This year, we went to the market earlier than ever to strategically align our powerful content slate with our clients’ goals,” Mark Marshall, chairman, global advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal, said in a statement. “The response has been extraordinary, and we are incredibly grateful for our partners’ trust and collaboration. In a year set to redefine industry benchmarks, ad-supported reach remains the most influential force in media – and no one delivers it like NBCU. With a cross-platform strategy supercharged by cutting-edge technology, we’re proud to engage 286 million people monthly – setting a new standard and delivering the most successful upfront in our company’s history.”
