NBCUniversal’s newly coined slogan, “Legendary February,” created by Chief Marketing Officer Jenny Storm, is quickly gaining traction as the company prepares for what could be one of the most packed months of sports programming in television history.
The stretch begins on Feb. 6, when NBC broadcasts the opening ceremony of the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics. Just two days later, the network will carry the Super Bowl, followed by the NBA All-Star Game one week after that. The Olympic Games conclude on Feb. 22, and NBC’s coverage that night will include not only the closing ceremonies, but also a matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The packed schedule will put NBCUniversal’s multibillion-dollar investment in broadcast rights squarely in focus. According to USA Today, the company is paying $7.75 billion for Olympic coverage through 2032, following a $3 billion extension with the International Olympic Committee reached in March. They are also spending roughly $2 billion per year on its NFL package, which includes Sunday Night Football and this season’s Super Bowl. In addition, the networks return to NBA coverage after a 23-year absence comes at a cost of $2.5 billion annually, part of the league’s 11-year, $76 billion media rights agreement with Amazon and Disney.
NBCUniversal has sold out its advertising inventory for the Winter Olympics and the company says the Games have attracted more than 100 new advertisers and are on pace to become the highest-grossing Winter Olympics in history.
Advertising for the NBA All-Star Game has also been fully booked, and NBCUniversal previously announced in September that all Super Bowl ad slots had been sold as well. Thirty-second commercials for the Super Bowl have commanded prices exceeding $8 million.
Executives say the combination of massive live events, record advertising demand, and the return of the NBA has positioned NBCUniversal at the center of the global sports marketplace.
“With the resurgence of the Olympic movement, our strongest Sports Upfront in history, the early sellout of Super Bowl LX, and the remarkable return of the NBA, NBCUniversal has solidified itself as a sports powerhouse and brands have taken notice,” said Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal.
For the company, the scale of February’s lineup also carries a sense of anticipation and pressure that comes with hosting so many marquee events at once.
“Only NBC can pull this off,” said Mike Cavanagh, co-CEO of Comcast, NBCUniversal’s parent company. “Getting ready for the month ahead feels like getting ready for a season ahead. We know we can do it. But you still have butterflies. You still have nerves. This is big time.”
Viewers will be able to watch the month’s biggest events on NBC as well as on Peacock, the company’s paid streaming service. Peacock now reaches 41 million U.S. subscribers and is expected to carry more than 7,600 hours of live sports and entertainment programming in 2026.
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