iWorld
NBCUniversal announces ad innovations for Peacock streaming service
Mumbai: US-based media conglomerate NBCUniversal held its first Peacock Newfronts presentation at the Highline Stages in New York City. During the presentation, the company unveiled two new ad innovations for the AVOD streaming service, extending the company’s One22 commitment to enhance the ad experience for consumers and marketers.
The Peacock Frame Ad keeps users connected to the content they love while a brand frames the experience with contextually relevant messaging and offers for purchase. Brands can leverage our robust first-party data through NBCUnified and a full suite of commerce capabilities including our new partnership with GoPuff, the instant commerce platform that delivers everyday essentials to a customer’s doorstep within minutes.
The streaming service is also exploring the Peacock In-Scene Ad, which would integrate a brand’s product and/or messaging during post-production. This prototype aims to find the right moments within top shows for more personalized messaging. This custom solution ensures maximum brand familiarity by showcasing the right product in the right content, at the right time, on the right screen.
Peacock Streaming Council Members will be the first partners to test these new ad innovations.
“At NBCUniversal, we are constantly developing new and impactful commercial innovations for our marketing partners,” said NBCUniversal president of advertising and partnerships Laura Molen. “With Peacock, we are testing and learning hand in hand with our partners by tapping into NBCU’s data, technology and creative capabilities combined with our iconic storytelling. Research shows that Peacock’s ad innovations deliver better results for our marketers than other CTV competitors all through the purchase funnel. No other media company out there can deliver the pristine ad environment we have already built as well as continue to evolve with our partners and viewers.”
“NBCUniversal has always been a leader in delivering ad-supported entertainment across platforms and we are proud to be setting the bar for what brands and consumers have come to expect with Peacock’s best-in-class AVOD streaming platform,” commented Peacock senior VP of product and UX John Jelley. “The majority of Peacock customers are opting for our ad-supported experience and we remain focused on collaborating with our brand partners to develop innovative, personalised ad experiences that continue to enhance the customer experience.”
“The Peacock Newfront is the next step in NBCUniversal’s series of partner events, designed to create a symphony of opportunity for our partners,” said NBCUniversal global CMO – advertising and partnerships Josh Feldman. “At One22, we unveiled the data-driven future of media and technology. Today, we put a spotlight on the future of streaming, and how we are furthering our commitment to Commercial Innovation with two new additions to the Peacock ad experience. As we look ahead to the Upfront later this month, we’ll continue to celebrate the content that informs, entertains and shapes our world.”
iWorld
Govt pushes live events sector to Rs 196 billion by 2028
LEDC roadmap targets 15–20 million jobs and global hub status by 2030
MUMBAI: India’s live events story is getting louder and this time, it’s policy turning up the volume. The fourth meeting of the Live Events Development Cell (LEDC), chaired by Chanchal Kumar, was held on 30 April 2026 at Vigyan Bhavan, bringing together representatives from nine Central Ministries, six States and 12 industry stakeholders to chart the sector’s next phase of growth. The numbers already tell a compelling story. India’s organised live events industry was valued at Rs 145 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at 10 per cent to Rs 196 billion by 2028 making it one of the fastest-expanding segments within the media and entertainment ecosystem.
Set up in July 2025 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the LEDC is tasked with turning that momentum into a structured growth engine. Its long-term ambition is ambitious, position India as a global live events hub by 2030 while generating an additional 15–20 million jobs.
At the meeting, officials emphasised the sector’s multiplier effect spanning tourism, employment and allied industries while underlining the need for coordinated execution. A key update was the rollout of a single-window clearance system for live event permissions via the India Cine Hub portal, aimed at simplifying approvals and improving transparency.
States have been urged to adopt the system, alongside implementing the “Model Executive Order for Streamlining Licensing and Permissions for Live Events in India, 2026” by 31 May 2026. The framework seeks to standardise what has long been a fragmented and time-consuming regulatory process.
Beyond permissions, the discussion also turned to infrastructure and talent. A draft concept for greenfield venue development was tabled, alongside plans to build a skilled workforce. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication, in collaboration with industry bodies MESC and EEMA, is set to introduce certificate courses tailored to the live events sector.
Chanchal Kumar stressed that alignment across stakeholders is already in place, with the next challenge being execution at scale. The government, he noted, remains committed to creating a facilitative and transparent ecosystem for organisers.
For an industry once seen as fragmented and event-driven, the message is clear, India’s live events business is no longer just about the show, it’s about building an entire stage for growth.
