It is fitting that the 2026 NAB Show takes place in a Las Vegas Convention Center that recently completed an astounding three-year, $600 million renovation. That makes it the perfect setting for a show that reflects an industry in a constant state of reinvention.
Fitting because like the LVCC, which now efficiently links all of its halls for easy access (and with a Loop transport system to boot), NAB Show will connect a projected 59,000-plus attendees to a media world in which creativity and technology ease the path toward invention and monetization for everyone from a kid with an iPhone to a major media player.
“When you look at what’s happening across the landscape of media and entertainment, everybody’s becoming a storyteller. NAB Show has all the tools you need to do that, but also the community to learn from each other how to further your craft,” said Karen Chupka, executive vice president of global connections and events at the National Association of Broadcasters.
The intersection of community and craft starts front and center for broadcasters with a reimagined TV and Radio HQ, presented by Xperi. It moves this year to a can’t-miss location on the Central Hall show floor. The change is meant to embrace broadcast’s legacy while increasing convenience and engagement, with relevant sessions set in the HQ Theater and with space to network in the inviting NAB Member Lounge.
Spotlight on Sports
In that lounge and on the floor, attendees can expect sports to hold an outsized amount of attention.
“Sports is such a growing category because it is the one thing that everybody still consumes live,” Chupka said.
That emphasis has led to the Sports Summit expanding across four days. Leaders from leagues and teams, and companies representing broadcast, streaming and technology, will cover the rapid evolution of sports media’s production, distribution, investment and policy. Topics such as media rights and revenue, athlete-driven brands, wagering and the new fan economy and international markets will be explored on the West Hall floor.
In one Main Stage highlight, Jon Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships at NBC Sports, throws open the “NBC Sports Playbook: Rights, Partnerships and What’s Next” in a fireside talk with John Ourand from Puck’s sports-business newsletter “The Varsity.” Miller’s chat comes in the wake of the company’s blazing trifecta success in immersive storytelling and marketing with the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend.
Another major show theme is artificial intelligence, which hits a new stride at the 2026 Show. AI was housed in one pavilion last year; now it expands to two in the West Hall, reflecting the technology’s growing role as a fundamental part of industry workflows and a key to content models.
“We’re seeing AI move from experimentation to real, scaled adoption across the media industry,” said Silvia Candiani, vice president of telco, media and entertainment and gaming at Microsoft. “What’s most exciting is how AI is removing friction from creative and production workflows and helping creators focus on storytelling, craft and originality, while media organizations operate with greater speed, security and confidence.”
Candiani hits the Main Stage to discuss “Powering Intelligent Media: From AI Experimentation to Real-World Impact.” Later John Footen, media solutions managing director at Deloitte Consulting, tackles practical decisions that leaders face when moving from experimentation to durable impact in “Make AI Make Sense.”
Chupka also encourages a visit to the West Hall lobby to see AI in imaginative action, beginning with the cutting-edge innovators exhibiting in the Startup Pavilion.
There’s also the latest exciting novelty from Amazon Web Services (AWS): an AI-enabled digital basketball shooting experience. Created with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, owner of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, it will allow attendees to take three free throws and then receive a digital player card with stats and shooting technique analysis.
Industry in Growth Mode
The convention also will be rich with content about streaming, virtualization, the cloud and the creator economy.
The NAB Show in 2026 looks to find more ways for industry players to stay relevant and competitive. To cite a few examples:
Enterprise Video Strategies, a new conference track situated in the West Hall’s new VideoNext Theater, will explore how enterprise-level organizations are using media and entertainment technologies to tell more engaging stories, and how corporations and organizations are adopting video production.
The two-day Streaming Summit, headed by Chairman Dan Rayburn, features two tracks, in which some 85 speakers will cover trends in measurement, technology challenges, consumer engagement, opportunities for monetization and delivering great user experiences at scale.
59,000+ expected attendees
238 exhibitors whose business includes an AI focus, up 82% from 2025
$17B: Amount of business generated through connections made at NAB Show
160 countries represented by attendees
20%: Roughly, the share of attendees traveling from outside the U.S.
343 exhibiting companies from outside the U.S.
Google is building a full exhibit on the floor for the first time this year, showcasing its cloud virtualization efforts.
As part of the Cinematographer Workshop, Oscar winner Roger Deakins speaks about next-era revolutionary tools for filmmakers.
This year, all attendees are invited to experience the three-day Business of Media and Entertainment program, which brings together top industry dealmakers, executives and creatives in discussion about trends leading to the ever-reshaping business.
And the Creator Lab offers access to hands-on learning with techniques and business insights, thanks to a dedicated classroom, theater, recording space and exhibitor activations, all meant to spark collaboration and scalable content in the Creator Economy.
“We have some tools and technologies that make it easier for creators to do some of what they’re doing, and we also cover a lot of content and how businesses could scale up the art of storytelling,” Chupka said. “People can walk away saying, ‘We can try that and see how that helps us build our community.’”
Protecting the growth of the broadcast community is top-of-mind for many attendees.
That includes new innovations like the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), a technology being developed by NAB that uses ATSC 3.0 signals as an alternative to GPS.
From regulation to innovation, the 2026 confab in Las Vegas offers attendees a four-day forecast for a business in constant growth.
“NAB Show connects broadcasters with the technologies, partnerships and insights they need to navigate a rapidly changing media environment,” NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said. “From AI tools to next-generation production and distribution technologies, the show equips broadcasters to innovate while continuing to serve their communities. This is where our industry comes together to prepare for the future.”
© 2026 NAB
