Comcast’s NBCUniversal is spinning off most of its cable TV networks into a new company called Versant, which will continue to be part of NBCU’s prepayment next year.
NBCU has already circled the date on next year’s calendar for its pre-presentation to advertisers for the 2026-27 season. The event will be held on Monday, May 11, 2026, and will once again return to New York City’s Radio City Music Hall (across from 30 Rockefeller Center). The opening section features the 100th anniversary of the NBC broadcast network.
Comcast is in the process of spinning off most of NBCU’s cable network and other assets to Versant. The transaction, which will create an independent publicly traded company, is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Versant will bring in CNBC, MSNBC (soon to become MS NOW), USA, E!, Syfy, Oxygen and Golf Channel, while Bravo will remain at NBCU along with NBC Broadcasting, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo and Peacock.
However, NBCU has a commercial services agreement with Versant that allows NBC to sell Versant’s U.S. advertising inventory over the next two upfront cycles.
“For more than 100 years, NBC has defined the American television landscape for generations of viewers,” Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said in a statement. “As we approach our 100th anniversary, we’re not only celebrating our legacy, but charting a path forward. This Upfront will showcase the future of advertising, content and technology, highlighting NBCUniversal’s leadership in innovative advertising solutions and leveraging the full power of our ecosystem to unlock new possibilities for brands, creators and audiences.”
The company says the combined NBCU and Versant portfolio will reach 286 million consumers by 2026. NBCU touts that having in-house responsibility for all Versant networks and associated digital content in the country “underscores the company’s role as a single, large-scale destination for advertisers.”
Meanwhile, Telemundo will also return in its Tuesday night slot (May 12, 2026) with an “exclusive customer experience” in New York City ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The venue for Telemundo’s presentation has not been determined.
