NBCUniversal has set a new Winter Olympics advertising sales record, selling its Olympic inventory a month before the Milan Cortina 2026 Games.
The Winter Olympics will kick off the company’s ‘Legendary February’ programming, which includes Super Bowl LX and the NBA All-Star Game.
NBCUniversal chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, Mark Marshall said the company sat in its strongest position for the Winter Games as partners saw the power of the NBC Sports portfolio.
"With the resurgence of the Olympic movement, our strongest Sports Upfront in history, the early sell-out of Super Bowl LX, and the remarkable return of the NBA, NBCUniversal has solidified itself as a sports powerhouse, and brands have taken notice,” he said.
According to the broadcaster, the massive success of the 2024 Paris Olympics made brands more eager to commit to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, with over 100 new advertisers investing in the games.
“For the first time in our company's history, we have seen such unprecedented demand that we are officially sold out of our inventory this far in advance of a Games,” Executive Vice President NBC Sports & Olympics, Advertising and Partnerships Peter Lazarus said.
NBCUniversal also marked the highest linear and digital revenue in Winter Olympics history with the Milan Cortina Games, showcasing the power of cross-platform for brands.
The company said more than 85% of brand partners were investing in the Games, and advertiser adoption of Peacock’s advertisiing innovations had grown 31%.
Nearly 60 advertisers had also invested in unique marketing elements, up 174% from Beijing 2022.
Partners were prioritising viewer-friendly advertising, with over a dozen brands investing in sponsorships to offer more live sports viewing to fans, 75% higher than for Paris 2024.
NBCUniversal said the company was slated to reach two in three Americans in February.
This follows the broadcaster's move to launch the NBC Sports Network in November 2025, aiming to tap into entrenched pay-TV audiences and expand its sports content distribution.
