Digital Specifications Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics

Ad format

Site-served (Direct IO only)

VAST 2.0 (Direct IO and Programmatic)

Creative deadline

January 9, 2026

• Final creative (including AD-ID, if using)

• Standards approval

• 3rd-party login information

January 9, 2026

• Final creative (including AD-ID, if using)

• Standards approval

• 3rd-party login information

Dimensions

Minimum 1920×1080

4 total: mezzanine (mezz), high, medium, low

This allows for the highest quality content and advertisement playback to run on all viewing endpoints: desktop, mobile web, apps, and OTT.

• Mezz – 1920x1080

• High – 1920x1080

• Medium – 960×540 or 640×480

• Low – 640×360 or 416×234

Duration

• Pre-roll – 6 seconds, 15 seconds

• Mid-roll – 15 seconds, 30 seconds

• Livestream – 15 seconds required; 30 seconds accepted

• Shortform – 15 seconds required; off-domain preferred durations are on Available Social Partners Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics

Multiple durations are not allowed within the same tag. All creatives of the same duration must be on one tag. For example, all 30-second creatives must rotate on the back end of one tag instead of being split out into several tags.

Max file size

10GB

• Mezz – Conform to vendor maximum

• High – Variable based on bitrate

• Medium – Variable based on bitrate

• Low – Variable based on bitrate

File format

• MOV strongly preferred

• MPEG-2 (.mpg)

⚠️ The file should include the ad creative only and must not require any editing or clipping before transcoding (i.e., no bars/tones, slates). Video duration must be the same length as the audio track or else the video cannot be transcoded. Content should begin at 01:00:00:00.

• Mezz – MP4 or MOV

• High – MP4

• Medium – MP4

• Low – MP4

VAST tags can also include MOV files, but MUST include a MP4 for each rendition: High, Medium and Low. If MP4 is not included for each, then the asset won’t pass and must be revised.

Minimum bit rate (video)

Greater than 15 Mbps

• Mezz – Minimum of 15 Mbps required; 30 Mbps recommended

• High – 3.25-5 Mbps

• Medium – 1-1.5 Mbps

• Low – 340-460 Kbps

Frame rate

29.97fps based on native frame rate

To ensure creatives are ingested and fulfilled in the most efficient and reliable manner, deliver content in native frame rate and scan mode. NBCUniversal doesn’t accept any pre-processing of creatives (i.e., apply telecine, inverse telecine, scan mode conversion), as pre-processing degrades the creative renditions, which can negatively impact monetization and viewer experience.

23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, and 30 based on native frame rate

To ensure creatives are ingested and fulfilled in the most efficient and reliable manner, deliver content in native frame rate and scan mode. NBCUniversal doesn’t accept any pre-processing of creatives (i.e., apply telecine, inverse telecine, scan mode conversion), as pre-processing degrades the creative renditions, which can negatively impact monetization and viewer experience.

Aspect ratio

16:9

16:9 (Mezz, High, Medium, Low)

Video codec

• Preferred Apple ProRes 422 HQ codec (minimum video bitrate 800 Kbps)

• H.264 codec; minimum video bitrate 50 Mbps (Accepted profiles: High, Main, Baseline)

• DV codec | DVC Pro NTSC (DV25) or DVC Pro NTSC (DV50)

⚠️ Interlaced video is not accepted

• Mezz – Apple ProRes 422 HQ or H.264 (Accepted profiles: High, Main, Baseline)

• High – H.264 only (Accepted profiles: High, Main, Baseline)

• Medium – H.264 only (Accepted profiles: High, Main, Baseline)

• Low – H.264 only (Accepted profiles: High, Main, Baseline)

⚠️ Interlaced video is not accepted

Scan type

Native scan mode, progressive, or interlaced

For example, capture/edit in 23.98p, deliver in 23.98p, capture 29.97i/edit 29.97i, deliver 2997i

Progressive

Field dominance

Upper odd (for 29.97 fps)

N/A

Time code

Time code track & QuickTime wrapper

• All 29.97 content must be drop frame

• 23.98 must be non-drop frame

N/A

Color space

4:2:2

N/A

Audio codec/format

PCM, Little Endian

Sampling frequency should be 48000Hz

Audio tracks

2-channel stereo

If you are sending a promo without any sound, 2 MOS tracks are required.

2-channel

Audio track assignments

Audio must be discrete, single track audio (1 track per channel).

• CH 1 – LT Stereo

• CH 2 – RT Stereo

N/A

Bit depth/sampling

24-Bit 48 kHz

N/A

Audio bit rate

96-194 kbps

• Mezz – Minimum 192 kbps

• High – Minimum 96 kbps

• Medium – Minimum 96 kbps

• Low – Minimum 96 kbps

Average loudness

-24 LKFS (full program mix, not just dialogue) using the ITU-R BS. 1770-3 measurement method

Must follow CALM compliance loudness average of –24LKFS +/-2

True peak limit

Creative volume should not exceed content volume and must be under -2dB

Creative volume should not exceed content volume and must be under -2dB

Audio duration

Audio track duration must be the same length as the video duration.

Additional information

Stitched creatives are not accepted (e.g., we don’t accept two 15-second ads stitched together to create one 30-second ad).

⚠️ Any creative tags that dynamically alter the creative in response to the SSP are prohibited.

Stitched creatives are not accepted (e.g., we don’t accept two 15-second ads stitched together to create one 30-second ad).

⚠️ Any creative tags that dynamically alter the creative in response to the SSP are prohibited.

• All direct sold VAST tags are subject to internal NBCU QC processes and will be rejected if spec requirements are not met across all platforms. Refer to NBCU Creative Quality Checks.

• For TV shows and Movies, DDT (day, date, and time) is not allowed.

• In order to secure the best livestreaming experience possible, NBC Olympics recommends associating an AD-ID with every video creative to run in live events.

• Direct Sold only: Flighting, capping and targeting (e.g., time targeting, frequency cap, demo, and geo targeting) to be applied by NBCU only to ensure contractual obligations and correct delivery.

• Direct Sold only: For any VAST tag running in Live, please provide a backup asset (with Ad-ID, if using) and tracking 1x1s as a contingency to ensure delivery across all endpoints.

• Provide only unwrapped VAST tags. We are unable to accommodate wrapped VAST for the Olympics.

• No ad blocking or pre-filtering.

• VAST only, no VPAID.

• Secure HTTPS only.