Live sports broadcasts have become a hot investment for streaming platforms. Leagues like the NBA and NFL have fractured their distribution deals across multiple platforms, and NBCUniversal‘s February 2026 numbers explain why those rights packages are so desirable.
In the latest edition of Nielsen‘s The Gauge report, NBCUniversal enjoyed its best performance ever. Thanks in large part to coverage of Super Bowl LX and the 2026 Winter Olympics, streaming service Peacock drew 3% of all streaming traffic on TV screens in the U.S. That was good for a 64% increase over the previous Gauge report.
When you add NBCUniversal’s other properties into the mix, the February stats look even more impressive. Versant is a Comcast spinoff launched at the start of 2026 that brings cable and digital properties under one umbrella. Versant and Peacock combined for a 13.1% TV viewership share in the latest Gauge report. That was a higher figure than longtime Gauge leader YouTube, which earned a 12.7% share in February.
Before we question YouTube’s future Gauge performance, it’s important to remind everyone that the Google-owned hub still led all streaming services in the February report. NBCU’s 13.1% figure requires the addition of Versant and its cable lineup.
Upcoming editions of The Gauge, however, will probably favor NBCU. Nielsen’s February update was supposed to include changes to the report’s methodology, but the measurement company’s partners in the streaming industry have protested that change, arguing that it will unfairly tilt the scales toward traditional broadcasters. Nielsen responded by delaying The Gauge and promising to delay the new methodology until the fall, but that shift is coming.
No matter how you slice, the key takeaway from the February edition of The Gauge centers around live sports. Olympic viewership has always been a reliable asset for NBCU (and, in some cases, YouTube). That trend accelerated in 2026, and NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast gave it a powerful one-two punch this winter.
As a result, the cost of sports rights packages are soaring, and many streamers are passing the costs on to their subscribers. Entities like the NAB may want live sports to remain on traditional TV channels, but even at a premium, these deals are too good to pass up — so streaming services are going to continue bidding for them.
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