NBCUniversal has announced that all advertising inventory for its coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics has been sold out nearly a month before the Games begin. This early sell out points to extremely strong demand from brands and advertisers.
The Comcast owned broadcaster said more than 100 new advertisers have signed on for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This makes it the most profitable Winter Games in terms of broadcast and digital advertising revenue in NBCUniversal’s history.
The strong demand reflects a growing focus on live sports advertising as marketers look for high impact events that attract large and engaged audiences. NBCUniversal is also packaging the Olympics with other major sports events such as Super Bowl LX and the NBA All Star Weekend. The company is calling this lineup a Legendary February.
“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,” said Peter Lazarus Executive Vice President of NBC Sports and Olympics Advertising and Partnerships.
NBCUniversal said its combined advertising reach across these events is expected to connect with nearly two thirds of the US population during the month of February.
The Winter Olympics will take place in Milan and Cortina Italy from February 6 to February 22 2026. The early sell out comes at a time when overall marketing budgets are under pressure but interest in premium live content remains strong.
The company also shared that more than 85 percent of Olympic brand partners are making major investments in digital advertising. Adoption of new advertising formats on NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock has increased by about 31 percent compared with the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The strong performance highlights how live sports continue to be a top priority for advertisers seeking wide reach and meaningful viewer engagement.
