Celebrating 100 Years of NBC: TODAY Looks Back at a Century of Broadcast

In 2026, NBCUniversal is entering a landmark moment as it proudly celebrates NBC's 100th anniversary. 

To kick off the milestone year, NBC's Joe Fryer shares a look back at the first 100 years of NBC's history. 

A century in the making: NBCU's tradition of innovation, driving what's next 

One hundred years ago, NBC was founded with a bold vision: to explore new ways of connecting people to the world around them. As America's first broadcast network, NBC introduced the country to a new way of hearing, seeing, and experiencing the world – and, in doing so, laid the groundwork for modern media. 

From the beginning, NBC led through innovation, repeatedly redefining what was possible. It delivered the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast, aired the first paid television commercial, and brought historic moments like the World Series and the first Super Bowl into American homes. NBC transformed news by launching the first regularly scheduled television news program, creating TODAY, the nation's first morning show, and later broadcasting the first televised presidential debate. In entertainment, it pioneered color broadcasting and debuted the first modern late-night talk show. These moments left an enduring mark on American culture, forever changing how news, entertainment, and live events are experienced. 

Over time, that pioneering broadcast network expanded and evolved, combining with Universal to become NBCUniversal – a global media and entertainment company built to grow with its audiences. By bringing together broadcast, film, television, news, sports, theme parks, and streaming, NBCUniversal has created a powerful ecosystem where stories can live and evolve across platforms – on screens large and small, through live events, and immersive experiences. As it enters its next chapter, NBCUniversal will carry forward the spirit of innovation that has defined its first century – pushing boundaries, finding new ways to tell stories, and creating moments that inspire, spark conversation, and bring people together. 

What’s happening in NBCU's 100^th year 

NBCUniversal’s 100^th year will bring an unprecedented year of live events, a blockbuster year across film, TV, and streaming, as well as expansion across Universal Destinations & Experiences. 

• NBCUniversal will host 40% of the industry’s major live events in 2026, beginning with Legendary February, an extraordinary 17-day stretch featuring the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and NBA All-Star Weekend. And in June, Telemundo and Peacock will be the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup.  

• NBCUniversal will be home to some of the biggest box office moments in 2026, with blockbuster films from Universal Pictures including The Super Mario Galaxy Movie from Nintendo and Illumination, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, Minions 3, and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Focus Features, the specialty studio within NBCUniversal, counts among its 2026 highlights Paul Greengrass’ The Uprising, Georgia Oakley’s Sense & Sensibility, and a Christmas Day reunion with auteur horror director Robert Eggers for his most terrifying film yet, Werwulf. 

• On television and streaming, audiences can look forward to many new and returning series, including Peacock’s Emmy Award-winning The Traitors (S4), PONIES, The ‘Burbs, Ted (S2), The Five-Star Weekend, Dig and Love Island USA (S8); NBC’s The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, The Hunting Party (S2) and The Voice: Battle of Champions; and Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, In the City, The Valley: Persian Style and Emmy Award-winning Top Chef (S23). 

• As innovators in the theme parks business, Universal Destinations & Experiences will open Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, debut Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift – a first-of-its-kind high-speed outdoor coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood – and continue scaling Universal Epic Universe, while progressing development plans for a new theme park in the U.K. 

• In 2026, the NBCU News Group will be at the forefront of Midterm election coverage, delivering trusted journalism, real-time analysis, and multiplatform experiences across broadcast, streaming, and digital. NBCU News – including NBC News (TODAY, Dateline, Meet the Press), Telemundo, and NBCU Local – remains the #1 most-watched news organization, reaching more Americans than any competitor across all platforms.