NBCUniversal upfront positions Peacock as the live sports streaming leader with NBA deal, new features
Illustration by Nick DeSantis / Shutterstock / The Current
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, NY —
To kick off NBCUniversal’s 2025 upfront, the company’s global ad chief, Mark Marshall, descended from the ceiling of Radio City Music Hall on a bubble-like lift, decked out in a pink blazer — a theatrical nod to its Oscar-winning hit Wicked.
“I just want everyone to think about over the next couple weeks when you’re allocating where you’re going to put your dollars,” Marshall joked. “There’s only one ad chief that was in the rafters of Radio City risking his life, so you decide where your dollars go.”
NBCUniversal is riding a wave of momentum from a strong 2024-2025 season, which included the Olympics appearing on Peacock for the first time, SNL’s 50th anniversary and the ongoing success of Wicked. NBCU is seeking to harness that energy throughout the rest of 2025 and into 2026, the year the network celebrates its 100th anniversary.
NBA returns to NBC — and premieres on Peacock
The company used the upfront to highlight its biggest differentiator: live content. Marshall announced that NBCU will own nearly 40% of all major live over the next two years, with Peacock streaming more live sports than any other platform — 7,500 hours’ worth.
From the Super Bowl LX to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2026 FIFA World Cup — it’s clear NBCU is aiming to be the category leader of live sports, with streaming platform Peacock taking on a larger role every year.
“Seventy percent of all the programming across NBC is live. And why does live matter to you? Because it delivers 21% more engagement for your brands,” Marshall said.
One of the biggest announcements: The NBA is coming back to NBC and, for the first time, will be streaming live on Peacock. As part of its long-term rights of the NBA, NBCU will bring 100 regular-season games and 40 playoff games to the streaming platform.
NBCU announced that basketball legend Michael Jordan will be joining the coverage as a special contributor, and composer John Tesh will bring back his iconic “Roundball Rock” NBA theme song.
“Today Peacock is redefining live sports, and our NBA coverage is going to the most immersive yet,” said sportscaster Mike Tirico, who is set to become the play-by-play announcer for NBA coverage on NBC. “We want fans to feel the excitement of the arenas through their screens and be a part of the culture.”
To support that immersive experience, Peacock will roll out new interactive features inspired by its Olympics coverage, including playlists of game highlights, overlays of players’ performance metrics, bingo cards where viewers can earn points and courtside camera angles, including player arrivals and celebrity reactions.
Telemundo also had a prominent presence, previewing its Spanish-language coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup aimed at reaching the growing Hispanic and Latino population.
Comedy star power and a few jabs at rivals
There was plenty of star power onstage — comedians Seth MacFarlane, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers delivered laughs, with appearances from Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks and musical guest Snoop Dogg (also an Olympic host). MacFarlane took jabs at rival platforms like Max during a satirical spot: “Who’s in charge of the business at Max now? Whoever it is, they got to go. It’s awful sad, but it all went bad when they changed their name from HBO,” he quipped.
One noticeable difference from years past, there was little mention of AI or ad tech. Instead, the focus was on resilience and results. Beyond the gags, NBCU carried a healthy dose of realism in today’s uncertain environment and backed it up with numbers.
“This morning as part of our event, we’ve solved all the tariffs issues. I hope everyone has read that,” Marshall joked, and then continued seriously: “But there are economic headwinds, and I want to make sure that everyone is aware of the one thing we’ve learned: Brands who stay on the air are 98% more likely to retain their customers.” He added that reach on NBCU will grow to 286 million people a month, and 99% of ads are seen through to completion.
NBCU debuts new shows amid Versant spin-off
NBCU also used its upfront to announce the launch of new programming coming to NBCU broadcast and streaming platforms, as well as cable now under the ownership of Versant, Comcast’s new publicly traded spinoff comprising cable networks like MSNBC, USA and CNBC. NBCU will still sell advertising for Versant content for the next two years.
During the presentation, Seth Meyers had his own satirical take on Versant: “Ask your doctor if Versant is right for you. … It’s official, there’s no big names left. Imagine someone being jealous to beat you to Tubi.”
Fallon took to the stage to announce a new unscripted show, On Brand With Jimmy Fallon, where contestants pitch real marketing campaigns to major brands, with products available for purchase. Former Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John will star as the show’s CMO.
“This isn‘t a 30-second spot for your brand — it’s an hourlong fun reality show talking with CMOs and brand presidents about exactly who they are, what they stand for and what they’re looking for in a new campaign,” Fallon said. “There is real ROI here.”
NBCU also teased a trailer for Wicked: For Good, as well as scripted shows such as Happy’s Place, St. Denis Medical and a new comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe, who made guest appearances.
Peacock previewed upcoming shows, including The Paper from The Office creator Greg Daniels, The Miniature Wife, The ’Burbs, All Her Fault and The Copenhagen Test. Versant’s new slate includes an adaptation of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker for USA, a true-crime series called Killer Grannies for Oxygen, among others for SyFy and E!