NBCUniversal launches new adtech suite ahead of CES 2026

NBCUniversal has announced a new suite of advertising products and data capabilities designed to enhance real-time targeting, campaign measurement and cross-platform engagement, ahead of the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The portfolio includes several new tools: LIVE Total Impact, Performance Insights Hub, Contextual Targeting in LIVE, Arrival Ads, programmatic Pause Ads, and expanded data collaborations. According to NBCUniversal, these technologies are intended to help advertisers better measure outcomes, optimize performance and engage viewers across linear and streaming environments.

Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said the company’s goal is to align technology with storytelling and improve outcomes for advertisers.

LIVE Total Impact enables advertisers to retarget audiences across NBCUniversal’s platforms during live events. Following a beta during “Sunday Night Football,” NBCUniversal reported performance gains for participating telecom and retail brands, including a 10 percent lift in awareness and memorability and a 77 percent increase in search engagement.

The company will extend LIVE Total Impact to additional live events in 2026, including Super Bowl LX, the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games and the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Contextual Targeting in LIVE uses AI to align ads with relevant moments during live broadcasts. NBCUniversal said early video-on-demand testing with a luxury brand showed gains in creative enjoyment and brand favorability. The company reported a 27 percent increase in creative enjoyment and a 56 percent lift in search engagement.

The new Performance Insights Hub is designed to give advertisers a unified dashboard with access to real-time campaign performance and attribution. The platform integrates data from partners such as Dynata, EDO, Kochava, LiveRamp, MarketCast and VideoAmp, with support for additional verticals planned.

NBCUniversal also announced Arrival Ads, a format debuting on the Peacock homepage, allowing advertisers to reach users upon login. The company described it as a high-visibility unit designed to increase brand impact.

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Additionally, Peacock’s Pause Ads format will now be available through programmatic guaranteed deals. NBCUniversal said these ad units have driven a 68 percent lift in ad memorability and a 106 percent increase in foot traffic in previous campaigns.

For the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, NBCUniversal will open premium inventory to programmatic buyers through platforms including Amazon DSP, Google Display & Video 360, and The Trade Desk. It will also continue using Universal Ads as its exclusive ads manager for the Games.

Recent collaborations with Walmart Connect and Instacart have yielded performance insights for live sports and streaming campaigns. A Sensodyne campaign during Q4 resulted in a 200 percent increase in ad likability and a $3.28 return on ad spend. An Advil campaign saw a 92 percent add-to-cart conversion rate and a $5.41 return on ad spend.

Other product updates include Live in Browse on Peacock, which displays live event previews on the homepage and integrates brand logos. NBCUniversal said the placement reaches over 80 percent of daily users and boosts ad recall by up to 3.8 times when paired with sponsorships.

NBCUniversal also highlighted a vertical video format for Peacock’s mobile app, which it said contributed to a 257 percent year-over-year increase in shortform content viewership. The format will become available to advertisers in 2026.

Multiview, which allows viewers to watch multiple camera angles simultaneously, was used during the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. NBCUniversal said more than 10 percent of viewers used the feature and that the parade became Peacock’s most-viewed entertainment simulstream event to date.

For NBA coverage, NBCUniversal introduced Peacock Performance View and Peacock Scorecard. The company said nearly 20 percent of viewers engaged with these features, with 80 percent of users reporting a more favorable perception of the platform as a result.

The announcements come as NBC approaches its 100th anniversary. The company said it remains focused on combining content and technology to drive measurable business results for advertisers.