• by Wayne Friedman , Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, Yesterday

NBCUniversal has wrapped up its 2025-26 upfront advertising sales season, claiming a 15% increase for all broadcast dayparts -- estimated to be around $7.5 billion to $7.7 billion for all its ad businesses, according to media analysts.

The media company did not disclose dollar-level financial data -- or a breakdown of specific advertising results for its dayparts, including its high-profile prime-time programming.  

NBCU said high-growth categories include sports -- which was up 45% in volume versus a year before -- with net sales from new small and medium-sized businesses 30% higher; and streaming service Peacock adding 20%.

The latter now accounts for a third of the parent company's total 2025-26 upfront sales volume.  

For all of 2024, Peacock was at $2 billion in advertising revenue. Wall Street stock market analysts estimate this year Peacock could see a slightly bigger bump -- to $2.5 billion in advertising revenue.

"NBCU and their sports composition has driven the market," says one veteran media agency executive. "NBCU seems to have their own market that the rest are trying to capitalize on." NBC has the Super Bowl next February, with reports that it is getting around $8 million for a 30-second commercial for the big game.

Overall cost-per-thousand viewer (CPM) pricing for sports -- for the NFL in particular -- has seen 7% to 9% hikes versus a year ago, according to media agency executives. After the Super Bowl on February 6, NBC will air the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy from February 20-26. 

Prime-time programming is projected to garner only "slight increases," according to one media executive.

Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said in a statement: “This year, we went to the market earlier than ever to strategically align our powerful content slate with our clients’ goals."

He added: "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.”

This story has been updated.