NBCUniversal Announces an Action-Packed Year for Advertisers at CES 2026
Turning up the dial at CES, NBCUniversal highlighted how its incredible slate of live content in 2026, paired with premium storytelling and cutting-edge technology, fuels its strategy to revolutionize the advertising experience across all of its platforms in ways no rivals can match.
January 12, 2026
NBCUniversal kicked off the New Year at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026 in Las Vegas with a slate of announcements set to change how the entertainment and media industry does business – with both fans and brands at the center. From January 5-8, NBCUniversal showed up in full force with over 140,000 attendees to spotlight an unprecedented Legendary February, ground-breaking technical innovations, and game-changing tools for marketers everywhere.
NBCUniversal's spirit of innovation drives AI-based ad buying
On Tuesday, Jan. 6, NBCUniversal, independent agency RPA, FreeWheel, and Newton Research announced a partnership to introduce a breakthrough approach to buying premium video across both linear and digital using agentic AI. In a first-of-its-kind proof-of-concept, an agency can execute and optimize a single premium video investment across platforms in seconds, as illustrated in the video demo here and the press release. Ryan McConville also spotlighted the news with an exclusive interview with AdExchanger.
The first execution will feature a prominent brand's Q1 2026 investment, including premium placements such as live football playoff games. This marks a historic milestone as this is the very first time AI agents are automating live sports inventory on linear television.
The result is a faster, smarter way to activate premium video that preserves human expertise while fundamentally reengineering media operations for an AI-driven future.
The news built on the momentum of NBCUniversal's recently announced suite of new technology and data products – including LIVE Total Impact, Performance Insights Hub, and AI-powered Contextual Targeting in LIVE – and the latest results from existing data collaborations and ad innovations here.
With a heartbeat of innovation combined with iconic IP, NBCUniversal stands poised to once again lead the way for advertisers to reach audiences at the most pivotal moments to harness engagement and deliver real results.
Going for gold: unprecedented early sellout of ad inventory for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games
For the first time ever, NBCUniversal officially sold out of its Olympic inventory a month ahead of the Winter Olympic Games. The Games in Milan kick off the company's Legendary February slate of live sports event programming, which also includes Super Bowl LX and the NBA All-Star Weekend.
The NBA's return to NBCUniversal this past fall sparked a flurry of demand from advertisers, with the company's unprecedented broadcast and streaming footprint driving strong interest. That demand extended to the NBA All-Star Game, leading to an early sellout and solidifying the sellout of all three tentpole moments in the Legendary February trifecta. Read more in the press release.
A century of storytelling plus the data, tech, & innovation to power the next 100
On the ground at CES 2026, NBCUniversal headlined conversations across stages.
Over three action-packed days, executives including Mark Marshall, Karen Kovacs, Alison Levin, Gina Reduto, Ryan McConville, Maureen Murphy, and Kristina Shepard participated in 8 dynamic speaking engagements and 7 high-profile video interviews and podcasts.
In the press, Ryan McConville shared NBCUniversal's vision for transforming TV advertising into a performance-driven channel powered by data, AI, and cross-platform innovation. Across interviews with At the Moment Media, "AdExchanger Talks", and LA Times Studios, he highlighted NBCU's advancements in ad tech – from AI-driven contextual alignment in live to enhanced in-flight measurement and optimization solutions – helping advertisers tap into premium content's deep impact while delivering real business outcomes.
Karen Kovacs, speaking with C-Space, emphasized that brand meaning in 2026 is rooted in experience, context, and utility, with authenticity and relevance as key drivers. Meanwhile, Mark Marshall joined Puck's "The Varsity" podcast to discuss sports media, NBCU's major NBA and MLB deals, and to reveal that Super Bowl LX ads hit a record $10 million.
See an overview of NBCUniversal’s moments from the convention hall stages below:
Kristina Shepard (Executive Vice President, Streaming, Performance Sales & Partnerships) participated a Digital Hollywood panel titled "Leadership Roundtable: Hollywood – Technology – Brand," joined by leaders from Adobe, Amazon Web Services, WPP, and the Virtual World Society to explore how emerging devices, platforms, and shifting consumer behaviors are transforming engagement. Check out Deadline's coverage of the panel.
At the Stagwell Sport Beach Tech Summit, Mark Marshall (Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships) gave an inside look into NBCU's cross-platform strategy and shared insights into how brands and media partners can elevate the Olympics to expand audience reach during the "Going for Gold: Milan Cortina to LA & the Future of Olympic Storytelling" panel with LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi.
Alison Levin (President of Advertising & Partnerships) joined the OpenAP Audience Summit to discuss identity standardization across screens, maintaining a premium ad and viewership experience, and connecting exposure to outcomes in a panel titled "Redefining TV: Standardization That Unlocks Performance" with leaders from Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, and TelevisaUnivision.
Karen Kovacs (President of Advertising & Partnerships) spoke on UTA's Future Decoded "Culture Crashes: What Happens When Brands Chase Trends" panel with executives from Life360, OAAA, Lush, and Beverages US to share her vision for how emerging tech can be leveraged to drive culturally impactful moments, helping meet audiences at the most pivotal and authentic touchpoints.
Mark Marshall once more joined the Variety Entertainment Summit to discuss "The New Business of Entertainment." Joined by Fox's Jeff Collins, Disney's Rita Ferro, TelevisaUnivision's Tim Natividad, Vizio's Mike O'Donnell, and Netflix's Amy Reinhard in a conversation moderated by Deloitte's Danny Ledger, Mark dove into how NBCU is staying ahead of the curve in reimagining partnerships. Watch the conversation in Variety
Kristina Shepard joined The Female Quotient and leaders from Chase Media Solutions, Walmart Connect, and Roku in a conversation titled "Omnichannel Without Limits: Reaching Consumers Everywhere They Are" to discuss how they are reimagining omnichannel strategy as a seamless ecosystem that blends creativity, technology, and trust.
Gina Reduto (Executive Vice President, Strategy, Advertising & Partnerships) joined Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit for a discussion on "Driving Full-Funnel Impact: Walmart Connect & NBCUniversal's Winning Playbook for Live Sports Advertising" alongside Walmart Connect's Diana Finster. Gina and Diana revealed how combining premium NBCUniversal inventory with Walmart's retail data drives full-funnel impact and helps brands connect with fans in real time.
Maureen Murphy (Executive Vice President, Client Partnerships) took NBCUniversal's final stage at The Female Quotients' "The New Rules of Fandom: Reinventing Connection in Sports & Entertainment" panel. With Roku and 72andSunny Creative Collective, Maureen emphasized the need to ensure the ad experience is as engaging and entertaining as the content itself, and highlighted BravoCon 2025, the Milan Creator Collective, and more.
For 100 years, NBCUniversal has created content that fuels fandoms and shapes culture. At CES 2026, NBCUniversal demonstrated how its longstanding legacy of innovation, cutting-edge products, and premium storytelling will lead the industry into the future.
