NBC

The National Broadcasting Company, or NBC, is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States, launched on June 19, 1926, by the Radio Corporation of America under David Sarnoff. Initially co-owned by General Electric, Westinghouse, and AT&T, the network aired its first major broadcast on November 15, 1926, covering the Dartmouth-Harvard football game. Its headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, known as the Comcast Building, have housed the network for decades. Additional offices include the NBC Tower in Chicago and 10 Universal City Plaza in Los Angeles.

NBC is one of the traditional Big Three television networks, alongside ABC and CBS. It earned the nickname Peacock Network from its colorful peacock logo, introduced in 1956 to promote its early color broadcasting capabilities. The network owns and operates 12 stations and maintains affiliates in nearly every U.S. TV market, with signals reaching parts of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada. Over the decades, NBC has launched iconic programs: The Tonight Show debuted in 1954, Today in 1952, and Saturday Night Live in 1975. Prime-time hits like ER, Friends, and The Office have made it a ratings leader.

NBC News produces flagship programs such as NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press, the longest-running television series in U.S. history. The network has broadcast the Olympic Games for many years, securing a deal through 2032. In 2020, NBCUniversal launched Peacock, a streaming service that had 34 million subscribers by mid-2024. The network has also faced controversies, including criticism over its handling of the Golden Globes in 2021 and the sexual harassment allegations against former Today host Matt Lauer in 2017.[edit]