Peacock fleshes out livestream advertising ahead of a blockbuster 2026

The news: NBCUniversal is fleshing out features on Peacock to bolster live event advertising, expand ad space, and introduce AI-powered performance measurement tools, the company announced at CES this week.

• Live events are getting a boost with the debut of “Live in Browse,” a feature that highlights live broadcasts on Peacock’s home page. Pause ads will also come to live broadcasts after previously being available solely for pre-recorded content.
• NBCU is also rolling out AI-powered performance metrics that allow advertisers to see what ad elements worked best for particular demographics and against certain content. The company is building models for specific content, like golf or football broadcasts.

Zooming out: NBCU’s ad product launches come as the company prepares for its 100th anniversary and a large lineup of live events in 2026.

• In 2026, NBCU will be the streaming partner of the Olympics, the Super Bowl, WNBA finals, the Spanish-language World Cup, and more. Debuting new ad products now gives advertisers time to test them, allowing NBCU runway to work out kinks ahead of the high-volume period.

Peacock’s performance: Peacock’s 36 million subscribers pale in comparison to leaders like Netflix and Disney+, but recent live broadcasts like the 2024 Paris Olympics have proven highly successful. The company’s ad innovations and long-standing industry relationships make it a key player in the streaming advertising ecosystem.

• Ahead of CES, parent company Comcast announced a self-serve ad platform for small- to midsize businesses called Universal Ads that will be used by partners including Roku and Warner Bros. Discovery, positioning itself as a key intermediary.

Our take: Even without the same subscriber volume as streaming leaders, Peacock is making notable ad revenue gains and is a leader in advertising for livestreaming events. Peacock’s revenues jumped 82% to $1.5 billion in Q3 2024, a sign that live events and new ad formats are driving significant brand interest.