NBCU Closes Record-Breaking Upfront With ‘Highest Ad Sales Volume’ Ever

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.”  

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.