Winter Olympics were the most-watched in 12 years. (Image credit: Elsa/Getty Images)
The bond between sports and television — both broadcast and digital — has never been stronger. According to Nielsen, 96 of the 100 most-watched telecasts in 2025 were live sports, predominantly the NFL and college football.
With that in mind, the 2026 NAB Show Sports Summit, powered by Lumen Technolgies, will be extended to four days from three, April 19–22 at the Sports Summit Theater, W3643 on the convention floor in West Hall.
The Super Bowl on Feb. 8 marked the second most-watched telecast in U.S. history, with Nielsen saying total viewership of 125.6 million trailed only the 127.7 million for last year’s big game.
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in February was the most-watched since 2014, as NBC, Peacock and other platforms averaged 23.5 million daily U.S. viewers.
And the NBA All-Star Game in February saw NBC, Peacock and Telemundo fast-break to an 87% viewership jump from 2025, averaging 8.8 million viewers.
The headline event at this year’s Sports Summit is “NBC Sports Playbook: Rights, Partnerships and What’s Next,” a Main Stage conversation between Puck sports correspondent John Ourand and Jon Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships at NBC Sports.
Miller will discuss the efforts behind delivering tentpole sports moments at a global scale, touching on major rights acquisitions, transformative distribution partnerships and the future of the sports media landscape.
“The media world continues to evolve, but broadcast television remains stronger and more important than ever before,” Miller said. “Our long-term sports deals always have broadcast as a key component for our partners.”
Key Moment for Women’s Sports
How can women’s sports maintain their current momentum and become an enterprise go-to? Those questions will be explored during “Women’s Sports at an Inflection Point” on April 19.
“Women’s sports are not just a moment, they are a growth story,” E.W. Scripps Co. Senior Vice President of Marketing Sherry Pitkofsky said.
“For broadcasters, it’s an opportunity to build real fandom, create deeper connections with viewers and invest in a space where demand is finally catching up with talent and competition on the field.”
- Sunday, April 19
“The State of Sports Media: Reach, Rights & Revenue”
10:30–11:15 a.m.
“Women’s Sports at an Inflection Point”
1:30–2:10 p.m. - Monday, April 20
“Private Equity, Sovereign Wealth and the Future of Sports Ownership”
2–2:45 p.m. - Tuesday, April 21
“The Fan Experience Reimagined”
2–2:45 p.m.
“AI in Sports: From Data to Dynamic Fan Experiences”
3-3:30 p.m.
All sessions are in the Sports Summit Theater, W3643. For the full Sports Summit schedule, visit the NAB Show website.
Scripps Sports has become a big player in that space: Its Ion network televises national games for both the WNBA and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), while many of its local stations are also team rightsholders.
FAST Studios CEO Stuart McLean said, “Women’s sports carry an incredibly passionate fanbase that is only just now being unlocked at scale.” FAST Studios is the parent of Women’s Sports Network, a 24/7 FAST channel featuring content from the LPGA, U.S. Ski and Snowboard and the World Surf League, among others.
What’s next? “Networks that invest now can help build year-round communities around these sports, elevate the athletes and create franchises that fans feel personally connected to,” Pitkofsky said.
McLean added, “The industry must focus on fan experiences and greater storytelling that supports league, team and athlete partnerships.”
Surveying the Field
Religion of Sports CEO Ameeth Sankaran will speak on the panel “The State of Sports Media: Rights, Reach & Revenue” on April 19.
The session is a global snapshot of where the major sports leagues stand on media rights, platform distribution, and how fragmented viewership is shaping the next wave of revenue models.
Asked how he sees athlete empowerment evolving over the next 10 years, Sankaran said: “Athletes will continue to lead their story and be at the center of it. We are already seeing athletes [and talent] license their NIL [name, image and likeness] to be used via artificial intelligence. I think this trend will continue.”
And Much, Much More
How will emerging technologies like real-time personalization and immersive audiovisual design transform sporting venues in the future?
Scott Sullivan, Shure’s vice president of strategy and innovation, and Laura “LJ” Johnson, executive producer and senior director, game presentation and live events for the San Francisco 49ers, will share their takes during “Stadiums of the Future: Tech-Driven Venue Experiences.”
DealMaker Co-Founder and CEO Rebecca Kacaba and Bruin Capital Partner Jeff Roth will lead “Private Equity, Sovereign Wealth and the Future of Sports Ownership,” focusing on what new ownership models mean for governance, decision-making and league stability, and where global capital is creating opportunities for expansion, infrastructure and media growth.
© 2026 NAB
