NBCU debuts Virtual Concessions for on-demand food delivery

Want a snack delivered straight to you while watching the Olympics? By the time the Paris Games roll around, you’ll be in luck.

NBCUniversal is debuting a new e-commerce ad tool, called Virtual Concessions, where users can order food and drinks through on-screen QR codes during NBCU programming and get them delivered to their homes.

The offering, which NBCU announced at its One24 tech conference on Wednesday, will officially roll out during the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics this summer. Following the games, virtual concessions will also be available on Peacock, and will be targeted around sports, starting with club soccer, and movie-watching.

While the logistics around Virtual Concessions are still being fine-tuned, the food ads may appear during pre-roll and/or through a pop-up during programming, Josh Feldman, global CMO for NBCU’s ad and partnerships division, said during a press event.

The new ad format was born when audience research found viewers were already ordering food and drink for watching at home, albeit without a QR code at their disposal, Feldman said.

“Two out of every three Peacock viewers are actually ordering food or beverages when they sit down for either a live sporting event or a movie,” he said.

Fulfillment partners haven’t been determined yet, and you may see different snacks at different times of day as NBCU further develops the offering, Feldman said, since “the type of items you may need at noon versus dinnertime versus 9pm could be very, very different.”

As the Olympics draws closer, NBCU is developing additional ways for brands and buyers to be involved in the games. Execs announced a partnership with The Trade Desk to offer programmatic advertising around the Olympics and Paralympics games for the first time. NBCU also rolled out Peacock Discovery Multiview, a feature designed specifically for the Olympics that will allow fans to watch multiple events at once.

NBCU has also expanded Must ShopTV, an AI-powered shoppable ad option that’ll be available across six Peacock franchises including Love Island USA and Top Chef.