NBCU Olympic Ads: More Than $1 Billion Sold

By Jon Lafayette

NBC Universal said its ad revenue haul for the Beijing Olympic Games has topped $1 billion, a new record.

“We’ve always said that the Olympics is one of the most powerful properties in all of television,” said Seth Winter, senior VP of sales and marketing at NBC Sports & Olympics. “While we are thrilled with this milestone, we still expect to write more business as the Games begin and great stories continue to evolve.”

With the economy slowing down and some media companies reporting sluggish sales at the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter, topping its goal of $1 billion in sales is a notable achievement for NBC. The network also holds the rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympics.

NBC will kick off its coverage with the Olympic Opening Ceremony Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Games continue through Aug. 24. In all, more than 2,600 hours of coverage will be shown by NBC on its broadcast, cable, online and mobile outlets.