LAS VEGAS—The 2026 NAB Show has announced that it attracted more than 58,000 registered attendees between April 18 and 22, as the show continued to bring in new audiences and explore new topics that reflected a rapidly changing media and entertainment industry.
This year, nearly half (48%) of all attendees were first-timers and international attendees from 146 countries accounted for 22% of attendees.
“The 2026 NAB Show captured the energy and transformation driving today’s media and entertainment landscape, unveiling powerful new tools and technologies that put storytelling in everyone’s hands,” said Karen Chupka, executive vice president of NAB Show. “This year, we brought together a truly global community to spark innovation, elevate new voices and ignite the conversations shaping what comes next — where anyone, anywhere, can create and share stories
Top figures in the creator economy also weighed in on the value of the Show and its value to a new generation of entrepreneurs and attendees. “NAB Show is a great place to get both sides of the production workflow. ... [It] is incredibly strong on the content creation process ... [and] there’s several sessions on the business sides of how to manage your content creation business as a general thing,” said Jonathan Liu, CEO, Zhong
“If you want to connect with all the best and the greatest in broadcast media technology, this is the place to be. … [T]his is where you will get your lay of the ground, build your community, and also talk directly to the folks who are building the products,” added Nicki Sun, CEO, Nicki Sun Media and NAB Creator Council member
The organizers said that three audience areas in particular are driving growth in both the evolving media landscape the show:
- Content Creators: The number of registered attendees who are content creators increased 140% over 2025, with NAB Show’s Content Creator VIP Program and other initiatives poised to expand that universe.
- Enterprise: More than 13,000 attendees reported that they are corporate media professionals, almost double the 2025 number.
- Sports: The 2026 NAB Show included attendees from about 75 professional sports teams, 22 professional leagues and governing bodies, 30 sports venues, 15 esports/gaming organizations, 35 collegiate athletic departments, and 15 sports content producers/distributors.
The Show featured more than 1,100 exhibitors from around the globe, spanning the equivalent of nearly eight soccer fields and highlighting 132 first-time participants showcasing their innovations. Global brands included Sony, Canon, Ross, Blackmagic Design, Adobe, Google Cloud, AT&T and AWS.
NAB Show returns to New York Oct. 21–22, 2026 and the 2027 NAB Show returns to Las Vegas, April 3–7, 2027 (exhibits April 4–7, 2027).
TV Tech's complete coverage of the 2026 NAB Show can be found here.
