NBCUniversal secured $500 million in upfront ad commitments for its streaming platform Peacock, the company revealed today.
It's the latest indication of the shift of ad dollars from linear TV to streaming during this year's upfronts, when networks look to secure a bulk of their ad commitments ahead of the new season.
Disney said it saw more than 40% of its total ad commitments in this year’s negotiations go toward digital and streaming. And in June, WarnerMedia said it secured $80 million in upfront commitments during last year's negotations for its streaming platform HBO Max ahead of the debut of its ad-supported tier earlier this year.
Peacock's $500 million commitment was part of an upfront haul that NBCU CEO Jeff Shell described in June as, “the strongest upfront I think probably in the history of NBCUniversal."
Mark Marshall, president of advertising sales and partnerships at NBCU elaborated on this by noting that not since the Second World War has a paused economy come roaring back so forcefully.