During the Paris Games, average daily viewership across Comcast’s linear networks and Peacock increased by 82% from the previous Summer Olympics. (Richard Bord/Getty Images for NBC Universal)

Technology and media giant Comcast saw its media section – which contains the US network NBCUniversal – secure a 36.5% revenue rise year-on-year in the third quarter of 2024.

Revenue in that sector rose to $8.23 billion overall, up from $6.02 billion, largely due to the Paris 2024 Olympics which took place across late July and early August and was aired exclusively in the US on NBC (linear TV) and on that network’s streaming service Peacock.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Out of the media section, $3.34 billion came from domestic advertising, and $3.27 billion from domestic distribution.

Income from international networks, meanwhile, amounted to $1.07 billion during Q3.

During the Paris Games, average daily viewership across the linear networks and Peacock increased by 82% compared to during the previous Summer Olympics (Tokyo in 2021).

The current deal between NBC and the International Olympic Committee runs through the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia, and is reported to be worth a total of $7.65 billion.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Overall, Comcast's revenue in the three months up to September 30 this year came to $32.07 billion, up 6.5% from the prior year.

In terms of Peacock specifically, that platform – which exclusively streamed the entirety of Paris 2024 – secured three million additional subscribers during the third quarter, with the paid subscribers number now up to 36 million. Peacock revenue in Q3, meanwhile, was up 82% at $1.5 billion.

Peacock still lost $436 million during the quarter, but this was an improved result from Q3 2023 when the losses amounted to $565 million.

Incremental Olympics revenue for Comcast’s media operations hit a record high of $1.9 billion, meanwhile.

The content and experiences section of Comcast, meanwhile, which contains the media division, saw a 19.3% revenue rise year-on-year, up from $10.5 billion to $12.6 billion.

Brian Roberts, chair and chief executive at Comcast, has said: “We delivered an incredibly successful Paris Summer Olympics that helped fuel double-digit percentage growth in Peacock revenue and paid subscribers and contributed to NBC's #1 ranking for the 2023-2024 season.”

Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization), decreased by 2.3% for the entirety of Comcast.

Specifically for the media section, EBITDA was $650 million during Q3 2024 as opposed to $723 million during the prior year quarter.