NBCUniversal sells out Winter Game ad inventory
January 7, 2026
With one month until the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, NBCUniversal has announced that it has sold out of its Olympic inventory, setting a new Winter Olympics ad sales record with more advertisers investing in the upcoming Winter Games.
“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,” said Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “Our partners have not only seen the power of the NBC Sports portfolio, but also the incredible results our robust sports programming delivers, which is why our company now sits in its strongest position ever for a Winter Games and is kicking off 2026 officially sold out of all our Legendary February programming.”
Following the success of the 2024 Paris Olympics, brands were eager to commit to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, with over 100 new advertisers investing in the upcoming Games. NBCUniversal also marks the highest linear and digital revenue in Winter Olympics history with the Milan Cortina Games, further showcasing the power of cross platform for brands. Over 85 per cent of brand partners are investing in Milan Cortina digitally and advertiser adoption of Peacock’s ad innovations has grown 31 per cent from Paris 2024 to Milan Cortina. Additionally, nearly 60 advertisers have invested in unique marketing elements, +174 per cent from Beijing 2022. Partners are prioritising viewer-friendly advertising, with over a dozen brands investing in sponsorships to offer more live sports viewing to fans, +75 per cent from Paris 2024.
“The upcoming Winter Games, surrounded by Super Bowl LX and NBA All-Star Weekend, will captivate a highly engaged and passionate audience at scale in a way that no other media company can for advertisers,” added Peter Lazarus, Executive Vice President NBC Sports & Olympics, Advertising and Partnerships. “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. We are excited to once again deliver fans a word class viewing experience; while providing brands the powerful halo effect the Olympics has to offer.”
The Games will kick off the company’s ‘Legendary February’, which will see a first in sports media history with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX, and the NBA All-Star Game airing across NBCUniversal starting February 6th. Throughout February, NBCUniversal is slated to reach two in three Americans providing brands with unmatched reach and ample storytelling opportunities cross-property.