By Dawn Chmielewski
(Reuters) – NBCUniversal said on Thursday it completed the highest-grossing upfront advertising sales period since its acquisition by Comcast Corp with commitments exceeding $7 billion, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
The media company said in a statement its approach of combining local, national and digital advertising sales through a single platform fueled the results.
NBCU said the pharmaceutical industry increased spending by 40%. Travel also rebounded, with spending increasing 30%.
The company also reported nearly 20% growth in spending on digital platforms and streaming. Its ad-supported Peacock service doubled its upfront commitments to more than $1 billion.
Comcast acquired NBCUniversal, which operates the NBC broadcast network and cable channels including USA Network and Bravo, in 2013.
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski; Editing by Richard Chang)