Live programming and Peacock break records

With the inclusion of the NBA this year, NBCUniversal said it delivered its strongest sports upfront in history, adding 20% new clients over last year and securing a 45% year-over-year increase in volume beyond the big three tentpoles. NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Golf, and USA Network all benefited from the demand for sports, driving new clients and sports commitments for the properties. 

Live events will also be a major focus of 2026 with the FIFA World Cup, which saw Telemundo experience its best upfront to date, which has already exceeded revenue for the previous World Cup with over 10 months until kickoff.

BravoCon continues to be an in-demand event for advertisers, drawing record-breaking interest across all key categories and prompted returning sponsors to commit to larger investments. Bravo has continued to see steady growth over the past five years, according to the company, representing nearly 20% of the company’s entire entertainment demand across broadcast and cable.  

NBCUniversal also saw a resurgence in broadcast across news, sports, and entertainment, with nearly 15% year-over-year growth, driven in part by new opportunities with the NBA. Over a quarter (25%) of NBCUniversal’s NBA advertisers will be new to broadcast this year. 

Peacock, which saw its largest digital upfront in history, drove a lot of growth, thanks to its ad innovations, low ad load, and viewer experience, the company said.

The NBCUniversal streamer saw year-over-year growth, driving over a 20% year-over-year increase, representing nearly one-third of NBCUniversal’s total upfront commitments.

During this year’s upfront cycle, NBCUniversal sold its entire portfolio across linear and streaming under its One Platform banner. Looking to next year’s upfront, the company will continue to represent domestic Versant advertising inventory, including CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, Syfy, USA, and digital platforms.