NBC aired its first-ever radio broadcast on November 15, 1926, which means the brand turns 100 (yes, 100!) And we’re celebrating this milestone from January to December, looking through the archives — and toward the future — in a way only we can.
Twelve months is a necessary amount of time to fully excavate and appreciate NBC’s contributions to television. After all, we’re talking about a century of groundbreaking journalism, not to mention television shows — from award-winning dramas to genre-defining sitcoms — that have shaped and shifted entertainment. Let’s remember that these special moments, below, all happened on NBC:
1939: President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared at the New York World’s Fair, marking the first appearance of a U.S. president on television.
1947: The first televised World Series, between the Yankees and Dodgers, aired on NBC.
1954: The Marriage premiered on NBC, becoming the first primetime series to air in full color (not black and white).
1960: The first presidential debate, between Kennedy and Nixon, aired on TV.
1967: The first televised Super Bowl was simulcasted on NBC and CBS.
1985: An Early Frost became the first made-for-TV movie to address AIDS, jumpstarting a necessary conversation in American homes.
1989-1998: Historic sitcoms like Seinfeld, Friends, and Will & Grace all made their debuts and revolutionized the idea of “Must See TV.”
2008: Rachel Maddow became the first openly lesbian anchor to host a primetime news program with The Rachel Maddow Show.
NBC is turning 100 in 2026!
A view outside NBC Studios.
All year, NBC will use its social handles and segments on shows like TODAY to fully reflect on these past 100 years: the triumphs, the turning points, and the many times in between that moved culture’s needle. NBC Insider will be doing our own retrospective coverage, too, celebrating the shows that have defined NBC’s decades-long legacy. From classics like Cheers to procedural juggernauts like Law & Order: SVU, get ready for a look-back that will have you in all the nostalgic feels.
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Stay tuned for more specific details on NBC’s 100th anniversary celebrations. In the meantime, get your party hats on — and that Peacock subscription ready.
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