This 12 months-over-12 months discount more than offset higher sports price resulting from extra events. As anticipated, this displays elevated expenses, together with increased sports rights amortization, ensuing 21 days from today date extra occasions in the present quarter as well as larger expenses associated with efficiently rising our cellular and broadband companies and funding in key development initiatives, which now consists of Sky Connect, our recently launched business broadband enterprise in the U.K. We continue to anticipate Sky EBITDA in the second half of this year to speed up from first half ranges, reflecting the advantages of a reset to main sports activities rights in addition to a more environment friendly operating structure. In NBCUniversal's Media segment underneath Jeff Shell and Mark Lazarus, we're beginning to see the advantages of our new operating structure. Media EBITDA declined 3.7% when including Peacock, which generated revenue of $91 million and an EBITDA lack of $277 million. Theme Parks revenue decreased 33.1% in the quarter and generated an EBITDA lack of $61 million, which included $one hundred million of Universal Beijing pre-opening prices. Media, which combines our Tv businesses in Peacock; Studios, which combines our film and television studio businesses; and Theme Parks. And NBCU, which appears just like the division with probably the most upside popping out of COVID, I'm simply -- I don't know if that is the year of peak losses for Peacock, however Theme Parks seem like they're on a 5 yr development trends, promoting -- manufacturing is coming back, and so forth., at Sky, you'll be able to see the leverage.
We had been just lately named as one among the top 5 Big Companies to Work For in the U.S. 10 Inclusive Companies in the U.K., a testomony to the work and fervour of our wonderful staff. The largest quantity of online advert revenue in the first half of the yr got here from keyword searches, where advertisers pay search engine corporations to list their Web sites greater in results introduced to users as they do on-line searches. Trying to the second quarter, we anticipate wholesome progress in distribution revenue to continue. China later within the second quarter. So in summary, we're all very proud and encouraged by our first quarter results. Turning to expenses. Cable Communications first quarter expenses elevated 1.5%. Programming expenses have been up 5.5%, primarily as a result of variety of contract renewals that started to cycle via in 2020 mixed with annual escalators in current agreements. For the total yr, we continue to count on programming expense to increase at high-single-digit ranges. Seeking to the second quarter, we anticipate programming expense development to extend at low-double-digit ranges as a result of continued impression of contract renewals as properly because the comparison to last yr's second quarter, which was favorably impacted by changes accrued for customer RSN fees.
And from what we see right this moment, we anticipate complete broadband additions for the 12 months to grow by mid-single-digit levels compared to 2019, which aside from the extraordinary growth we had in an unusual 2020, was the very best yr in more than a decade. New U Life the company behind the Somaderm Gel, believes that everybody deserves to dwell their finest life possible, and this product is designed to help you do exactly that. We generated 221,000 web customer additions, one of the best first quarter in six years, driven by streaming throughout our markets as well as regular momentum in cell and broadband inside the U.K. Direct-to-client income elevated 1.8% with development in the U.K. Advertising revenue declined 3.4% as lower entertainment ratings and robust political comps have been partially offset by extra sports activities in the quarter, strengthened information and the launch of Peacock. We additionally anticipate significantly increased sports activities rights amortization in comparison with last 12 months when occasions have been paused. Significantly fewer releases in the primary quarter resulted in lower expenses driving EBITDA growth of 66%. We're excited to be releasing Fast 9 in theaters later in the second quarter, but we delayed the release of Minions 2 from July of this yr to July of 2022, which can shift the earnings from 2021 to 2022 as well as we're continuing to handle our movie fleet to maximize worth.
Excluding Peacock, Media EBITDA elevated 10%, primarily pushed by decrease expenses, which was partly due to decrease entertainment costs related to fewer unique hours aired and partly resulting from our new working mannequin. Media revenue elevated 3.2% pushed by 9.1% development in distribution income, which reflected larger charges publish the successful completion of a number of carriage renewals at the end of 2020, partially offset by subscriber declines, which showed sequential enchancment. Turning to video. Revenue was in keeping with the prior yr, reflecting very wholesome ARPU growth of 6.8%, offset by net video subscriber losses totaling 491,000, which we felt totally on the connect facet as residential churn improved year-over-yr. The strong customer additions coupled with ARPU development of 4.4% drove a 12% increase in broadband revenue for the primary quarter, the largest driver of general cable income, and we expect this development will continue. Cable Communications EBITDA grew by 12% with margins reaching 43.2%, reflecting 250 foundation points of yr-over-year enchancment.
