NBC’s Olympics Take May Hit $1 Billion

by TVB Staff | July 25, 2008

NBC could make as much as $1 billion from advertising during the Olympics, according to a Los Angeles Times blog site. The site quoted an unidentified network executive who said 30-second spots were going for around $750,000. The Games will be carried across NBC’s broadcast and cable outlets, as well as a seriously beefed-up online presence at nbcolympics.com.

The Times piece didn’t indicate how the $1 billion figure was derived, but it noted that around 15 percent of the ad inventory across networks remains available. It also noted that Barack Obama has dropped about $5 million for time during the Games, making him the first presidential candidate to buy network ad time during an Olympics since Bob Dole in 1996.

The Games begin Aug. 8.