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NBC says it has already reached $1 billion in ad sales for the Rio Olympics

usain bolt london 2012

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Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter of Jamaica celebrate next to the clock after winning gold and setting a new world record of 36.84 during the Men's 4 x 100m Relay Final on Day 15 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 11, 2012 in London, England.

NBC announced on Tuesday it has passed the $1 billion milestone in ad sales for the 2016 Olympic Games - 129 days before the sporting event opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The broadcaster said the milestone was achieved around four months earlier than for the London 2012 Olympics - when ad sales hit the $1 billion mark two days before the opening ceremony.

NBC says in a press release that Rio 2016 "remains on pace to secure the most national advertising sales ever for an Olympic Games and the most by any network for any media event in US history."

The $1 billion figure is made up of national broadcast, cable, and digital sales. There are still some primetime slots left.

Seth Winter, NBC Sports Group EVP of advertising sales, says in the release: "The value of live, big-event programming is more important than ever to advertisers because of its ability to reach large audiences. The Olympics' ability to dominate primetime for 17 consecutive nights is unmatched. If brands want to reach viewers and their customers in the third quarter, they have to be in the Olympics."

The London 2012 Olympics was the most-watched television event in US history, according to NBC, which said it pulled in more than 219 million viewers in the US. That number was up on the 215 million who tuned in to watch the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In total, NBC secured around $1.3 billion in ad sale related to the London 2012 Games, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games open on August 5.

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