$1.2 Billion and Counting: How NBCUniversal Secured Its Biggest Olympics Advertising Windfall Ever

The time zone-friendly locale certainly helped

No matter what the final medal count looks like at the 2016 Summer Olympics, NBCUniversal is going to be Rio's big winner.

One day before the games even begin, the company has already set an Olympics record with more than $1.2 billion in national ad sales, which includes broadcast, cable and digital advertising. It's said to be the most by any network for any media event in U.S. history.

"We've surpassed what we thought was at one point an unobtainable threshold," Seth Winter, evp, ad sales, NBC Sports Group, told reporters on a conference call from Rio today.

That is more than 20 percent ahead of its sales for the 2012 London Olympics, with about 75 percent of that revenue coming from NBC's prime-time coverage of the games, said Winter.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Spring Special

Save 30% Off an ADWEEK Subscription Today!

View Your Options

Already a member? Sign in