According to Reuters, about 85 per cent of the company’s TV inventory has been sold with NBC receiving an average of $750,000 for each 30-second spot. At the same time, other NBC Universal networks including Telemundo, USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC and Oxygen also will be carrying Olympic sports. About $850 million will go to NBC Universal and $150 million to local NBC affiliates.
Seth Winter, Senior Vice President Ad Sales at NBC Sports & Olympics, said: "Sports, particularly a powerful brand such as the Olympics, continues to buck the trend. Clients and buyers recognize that big sporting events generate numbers you just don't see anyplace else, especially in the increasingly fragmented media world we live in today".
NBC said ad sales had increased after the network aired the Olympic trials. Strong advertiser categories include automobile, telecoms, soft drinks and movies, as well as retailers pushing back-to-school sales.
