NBC Dominates 2025-26 TV Season Ahead of Upfronts 2026-27: Key Takeaways for Advertisers

The 2025-26 TV season is drawing to a close, but May’s upfronts week has already shifted industry attention to the 2026-27 season. Networks are showcasing their upcoming slates to attract advertisers, with NBC emerging as the season’s standout performer.

NBC secured the broadcast season’s top spot for the first time since the 2007-08 season, dethroning CBS after an 18-year reign. The network’s historic February, which included the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and NBA All-Star Game, played a pivotal role in its victory. This rare convergence of major sports events underscored the unmatched power of live sports programming for networks and streamers alike.

Despite the milestone, NBC struck a measured tone during its Monday upfront presentation. The network emphasized its sustained strengths, including maintaining the No. 1 Sunday primetime network thanks to its robust sports lineup—featuring football, basketball, and baseball. NBC also highlighted its dominance in live co-viewing during primetime, boasting the highest share in that category this season.

“We’re realistic about next year — we don’t have the Olympics, we don’t have the Super Bowl.”

Jeff Bader, NBC’s president of program planning strategy, told press ahead of the upfront. He pivoted focus to the network’s entertainment slate, which includes four new series from its revived pilot season. “We just think that we will be generating more excitement … from this schedule and stability — that’s what’s important.”

As media conglomerates increasingly prioritize streaming services over traditional broadcast, the significance of broadcast ratings has diminished. Networks are now emphasizing their most loyal and engaged audiences, even if those shows lack the cultural buzz of hits like Euphoria. These underrated series often deliver consistent ratings and prove invaluable to advertisers.

CBS’s George Cheeks congratulated NBC on its season-long success but quickly pivoted to the network’s own ambitions. In an interview, Cheeks expressed optimism about CBS’s fall slate, set to be revealed in April. He highlighted the network’s dominance in broadcast, noting that CBS is home to 13 of the top 20 broadcast series—outpacing its competitors.

ABC’s Ari Goldman, SVP of Content Strategy and Scheduling, echoed this sentiment in a conversation with TheWrap. He emphasized ABC’s strength in entertainment programming, asserting that the Disney-owned network leads all broadcast networks in viewership for non-sports content. However, Goldman acknowledged that ABC’s 2026-27 lineup will also benefit from a packed sports schedule, including the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff Championship, Oscars (for the penultimate time before its move to YouTube), and the Grammys—marking the first time the latter will air on the network.