NBCUniversal has sold out all advertising inventory for Super Bowl 60 months earlier than expected, marking record demand for football advertising. Digital sales tied to the game are up 20% YoY as brands invest across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo. Prices held at $7–8 million per 30-second spot, aligning with Fox’s 2024 benchmark. NBCU’s 2026 slate—which also includes the Winter Olympics, NBA All-Star, and FIFA World Cup—positions the company to capture significant share of sports ad budgets. With ROI on Super Bowl ads nearly doubling since 2020 and consumer enthusiasm rising, NBCU’s cross-platform dominance highlights live sports’ unmatched ad pull.

Peacock is joining Prime Video’s ecosystem, giving viewers access to the service as an add-on with Prime subscriptions, per an Amazon announcement. The ad-free version of Comcast’s streaming platform will cost the same on Prime Video as it would individually. Peacock joins the likes of Paramount+, Apple TV+, and HBO Max in becoming part of Prime’s ecosystem. Peacock’s integration into Prime Video turns a mid-tier streamer struggling with profitability into part of a premium bundle, giving advertisers access to a larger, more engaged audience part of Amazon’s high-value ecosystem.

Amazon closed its second annual Upfronts with “significant growth” across independent agencies and holding companies, per Adweek. An Amazon spokesperson cited excitement surrounding live sports offerings on Prime Video as a key driver of growth. Amazon is positioned for sustained ad growth if it continues relying on its sports properties to draw advertiser interest in Prime Video. With Prime Video only making up a fraction of Amazon’s overall ad revenues, the service is far from hitting its ceiling—and future investment in tentpole sporting events will put Prime Video on par with its bigger competitors.

The news: As the NFL season approaches and digital video becomes a sports destination, fans are looking to new streaming services to stay caught up—and 35% are planning to subscribe to a new service to watch fall and winter sports, per CivicScience data. Our take: Sports will remain a key opportunity for brands to reach engaged and passionate audiences—but as fragmentation worsens, advertisers must prioritize cross-platform strategies that unlock consistent exposure.

The news: Magnite today introduced pause ads across several streaming providers, including DirecTV, Fubo, and Dish Media, to capitalize on the momentum of pause ads as a key opportunity to engage and convert connected TV (CTV) viewers. Our take: Pause ads have demonstrated their worth in the quickly growing CTV landscape—but those who see the most success with the format will be the ones who innovate before pause ads become standard practice.

MS NOW rebrand targets broader news reach: MSNBC aims to scale beyond its niche as TV audiences fragment globally.

The news: Paramount struck a $7.7 billion, 7-year agreement with UFC in its first big move after closing its merger with Skydance. The deal will see all 43 live annual UFC events streamed exclusively in the US on Paramount+, while select UFC events will be simultaneously aired on CBS. Our take: With its UFC deal, Paramount is taking the first step toward regaining audience share and ad spend post-Skydance merger, banking on live sports’ steady draw for viewers and marketers.

The news: Paramount reported mixed quarterly earnings and upfront results, underscoring the limitations of a content portfolio lacking major sports rights to drive engagement. The company’s biggest blow came from streaming service Paramount+, which lost 1.3 million subscribers in Q2—something the company attributed to “the expiration of an international hard bundle deal.” Our take: Paramount’s results depict a company capable of staying afloat, but struggling to build offerings that drive increased viewership and advertiser investment—necessitating that the company build its sports offerings to grow as competitors dive head-first into sports programming.

The news: Despite a surge in sports advertising and streaming, Walt Disney Co. failed to surpass last year’s upfront volume, citing a result that was “consistent with last year,” per a press release. Streaming accounted for over 40% of the company’s total upfront volume, on par with 2024, while sports advertising commitments across digital and linear were worth around $4 billion. Our take: As live sports viewers remain consistent and audiences increasingly turn to digital, Disney’s future growth depends on how well it can transform its streaming offerings into hubs for live sports.

The news: NBCUniversal is exploring a dedicated sports cable network that would feature content—including NBA games—shown on its Peacock streaming service, per a Wall Street Journal report. Our take: Launching a dedicated sports cable channel could help NBCU open the door to new ad inventory and bolster its cable revenues as traditional TV faces mounting pressure from the streaming transition. Live sports continues to command strong advertiser demand, even as general linear viewership declines.The channel will enable NBCU to better monetize its existing sports rights by repackaging content for cable audiences who might be losing interest in traditional TV.

The news: Forecasters are mixed on the future of Elon Musk-owned platform X after CEO Linda Yaccarino, whose experience as an advertising executive at NBCUniversal helped X reclaim some ad revenues, stepped down. But things aren’t all gloom and doom: We forecast that X’s ad revenues will increase by 25% YoY in 2025. Our take: While X’s ad revenues will likely grow in the short term, the shift toward AI could alleviate long-term struggles resulting from a turbulent few years for the platform—and even if some advertisers shift away, many will feel pressured to stay or face consequences.

NBCUniversal wrapped its 2025–26 Upfront with its highest ad sales volume in history, fueled by live events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and Super Bowl LX. Sports volume rose 45% year over year, while Peacock grew 20%, now representing nearly a third of NBCU’s total Upfront commitments. Over $1 billion came from programmatic demand, with a 60% shift toward advanced audience buying. In a year where industry-wide Upfront spend is expected to shrink, NBCU’s performance showcases the power of premium content, audience precision, and diversified ad tech. Small business gains and cross-channel strategies helped NBCU stand out in a cautious market.

The news: NBCUniversal will charge $8 million for 30-second Super Bowl LX spots, per an Adweek report citing those familiar with the matter. Ads for Super Bowl LX were reportedly going for around $7 million for 30 seconds—but that number has been increased due to high demand. Our take: The Super Bowl is likely the most lucrative advertising opportunity for US brands, as football continues dominating live TV—meaning advertisers are willing to invest despite the high cost. Live sports events, especially the Super Bowl, offer a rare combination of scale, immediacy, and viewer engagement.

The news: Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Elon Musk’s X, left the company Wednesday as the social platform faced a major AI controversy—raising questions about the platform’s future and how advertisers will navigate the shift. Yaccarino, who became CEO of X in 2023, announced her decision to leave on Wednesday. Our take: X’s future is increasingly rocky. Yaccarino’s departure reaffirms many advertisers’ fears that the platform is far from stable, and the Grok mishap indicates that it isn’t yet brand safe—meaning major advertisers could retreat once again.

Cannes Lions, an annual opportunity for advertisers to score accolades for their creativity, is refining its agenda to acknowledge how that work drives business.

The news: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) plans to split into two separate public companies by 2026, one focused on streaming and studios and the other on global cable networks, the company announced. Its streaming company will include HBO Max and WBD’s movie properties, while the global networks company will include TNT Sports, Discovery, and CNN. Our take: WBD’s move emphasizes that sticking with a one-size-fits-all model is no longer viable given traditional TV declines and the rise of streaming. Managing decline while pursuing growth requires two fundamentally different playbooks.

The news: The NBA held steady at 4,668 brand sponsors between 2023 and 2024, but total sponsorship revenues rose 8% to $1.62 billion, thanks to jersey patch deals, venue launches like the Intuit Dome, and record-breaking player endorsements. The Golden State Warriors alone brought in over $200 million, and rookie Jared McCain set a league record with 30 personal brand deals. Our take: The NBA is deepening its value to advertisers, not just expanding reach. With media rights deals and Amazon integration elevating its commercial footprint, the league is fast becoming one of the most lucrative platforms for modern marketers.

The news: The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) gave a glimpse of the TV (CTV) advertising’s future at its IAB Tech Lab event—and proved that pause ads are leading the way. Advertising leaders said they offer the best user experience, were most likely to scale with standardization, and provided the greatest increase in ad spend. Our take: The future of CTV advertising will rely on whether advertisers can implement non-intrusive formats that capture attention. Pause ads are positioned to drive action—but advertisers must reimagine their creative strategy to capitalize on this potential.

NBCU looks to secure MLB rights after ESPN backs out: The deal would position NBCU as a one-stop shop for sports, enhancing its value for advertisers.

As one of the hottest areas of digital advertising, CTV ad spending’s streak of annual double-digit increases could end thanks to tariffs.