NBCUniversal Renews 244K-SF Offices at 1221 Avenue of the Americas
By Isabelle Durso July 9, 2026 4:19 pm
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NBCUniversal is keeping its massive office near Rockefeller Center.
The mass media and entertainment conglomerate has renewed its 244,185-square-foot lease at Rockefeller Group’s 1221 Avenue of the Americas, according to a second-quarter office report from CBRE.
NBC first signed a lease for its space at the 51-story Midtown office building in 2012 as part of a $190 million investment into its New York City operations, according to an announcement at the time. That investment also included a series of upgrades and renovations to NBC’s headquarters across the street at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The length of the new renewal and the asking rent were unclear, but CBRE’s report found office asking rents in Midtown averaged $86.18 per square foot during the second quarter of 2026.
It’s also unclear who brokered the deal. Rockefeller Group declined to comment, while spokespeople for CBRE, NBC and Cushman & Wakefield — which has represented Rockefeller Group in past deals at 1221 Avenue of the Americas — did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
NBC last signed a renewal deal at the Midtown property in 2021, when it extended a lease for a secondary office at the building, bringing its overall footprint up to 339,933 square feet.
It’s unclear whether the new renewal is only for part of NBC’s office space at the property, or whether NBC reduced its total office footprint there.
Nevertheless, news of NBC’s new deal comes during a busy period for office renewals in Manhattan. And those renewals happen to be some of the largest leases signed during the second quarter, according to CBRE’s report.
Down at One Liberty Plaza in the Financial District, AON, a global professional services firm that provides risk, retirement and health solutions, renewed 201,931 square feet, the report found. Meanwhile, over in Hudson Square, WNYC Radio, New York City’s flagship public radio station, signed a renewal for 87,283 square feet at 160 Varick Street, according to CBRE.
Overall, Manhattan’s leasing activity totaled 7.9 million square feet during the second quarter, 24 percent ahead of the five-year quarterly average of 6.4 million square feet, the brokerage found.
Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.
