In this episode of the 'Future is Live' series, Ryan McConville, Chief Product Officer at NBCUniversal, discusses the shift of live events from traditional TV to streaming platforms, highlighting NBCUniversal's leadership in this transition. He shares insights on the impact of programmatic advertising in live environments and the challenges and opportunities it presents for advertisers.

Takeaways

NBCUniversal is leading the shift of live events to streaming platforms.

70% of NBCUniversal's programming hours are live content.

Legendary February will feature the Olympics, Super Bowl, and NBA All-Star weekend.

Programmatic advertising democratizes access to premium live events.

120% increase in advertisers in live environments year over year.

Peacock will offer 7,500 hours of live sports programming in 2026.

Live events offer 21% more engagement in brand advertising.

Freewheel powers NBCUniversal's live streaming strategy with predictive scaling.

Advertisers are excited about the automation and real-time data in live sports.

NBCUniversal offers diverse live opportunities beyond major sports events.

Chapters

00:01 Introduction to the Series

00:10 Ryan McConville on Live Streaming Shift

00:26 Impact of Programmatic Advertising

01:11 NBCUniversal's Leadership in Live Sports

02:07 Legendary February and Major Events

04:36 Programmatic's Role in Advertising

07:09 Advertiser Excitement and Education

11:02 Freewheel's Support in Live Strategy

13:12 Challenges and Opportunities in Live Ads