What should attendees expect from this year’s NAB Show?
Attendees should expect a Show that reflects how much the industry is converging. Broadcast, streaming, sport, film and creators are no longer operating separately. They’re using shared tools, infrastructure and workflows.
What stands out this year is that technologies like AI and cloud are no longer theoretical. They’re being applied across real production and distribution environments. The value of the 2026 NAB Show is seeing how all of this connects—not just what’s new, but how it works together to support storytelling at scale.
What are the key themes/trends of this year’s show, and why have they been chosen?
The themes centre on how storytelling is evolving and the technologies enabling that shift. AI, cloud, creators, sport and the business of media aren’t standalone topics: they reflect a broader transformation happening across the entire content lifecycle.
The tools behind storytelling are becoming more powerful and interconnected. AI is streamlining production and opening new creative possibilities, while cloud workflows are enabling collaboration at scale. These themes were chosen because they represent where we’re seeing real investment and change, and where the industry is actively redefining how stories are created, distributed and monetised.
The Sports Summit has grown to four days this year. What can attendees expect to hear/see?
The expansion reflects how central sport has become to the media ecosystem. The Sports Summit brings together leaders from leagues, teams, broadcasters, streaming platforms and technology companies to explore how live sports are produced, distributed and monetised today.
You’ll hear discussions around rights strategy, production innovation, fan engagement and investment, all of which are increasingly interconnected. The program is anchored by a keynote conversation with Jon Miller from NBC Sports and John Ourand from Puck Media, and it includes voices from across the industry. Opening it to all attendees underscores how influential sports have become across the broader media landscape.
The Creator Labs have also been expanded for 2026. Why?
Creator Lab has expanded because creators are no longer on the margins of the industry: They’re central to it. What’s changed is that many creators are now building full-scale businesses, not just audiences, which brings new operational, financial and creative challenges.
The programming reflects that shift, focusing on sustainability, measurement and long-term growth, while also looking at where the creator economy is heading. Expanding Creator Lab is about giving that evolution the depth it deserves and connecting it more directly to the rest of the Show.
Can you tell us about any speakers across the whole of the show that you think attendees should watch out for?
There’s a wide range of voices this year, which is what makes the lineup so compelling. You have someone like Sir Roger Deakins, regarded by many as the greatest cinematographer of his generation, alongside screenwriter Akela Cooper, whose films like M3GAN and Malignant have helped redefine the modern horror genre, and creators like Markiplier, who’s built a massive global audience on YouTube.
You’re also hearing from leaders across journalism, media and technology like Deborah Norville and Nexstar chairman and CEO Perry Sook, as well as Nate Bargatze, one of the biggest names in comedy today. What stands out is how those perspectives come together, adding up to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Any innovation this year in terms of the show floor?
There’s a more intentional shift toward a connected, navigable Show floor this year. With the full Las Vegas Convention Center campus in play, the focus is on creating a cohesive environment where different parts of the industry intersect.
That includes a reimagined broadcast hub, a second AI Pavilion reflecting rapid adoption across workflows, and deeper integration of creators and enterprise media. The goal is a floor that feels less like exhibits and more like a working media ecosystem.
Bringing that all together, our new and improved NAB Show app will help attendees navigate the Show with personalised schedules, relevant recommendations and real-time updates.
What are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s show?
What I’m most looking forward to is seeing how quickly some of these shifts are moving from concept into practice. We’ve been talking about things like AI, cloud workflows and new creator-driven models for a few years now, but this is the year where you can really see how they’re being applied in real environments.
I’m also interested in the unexpected connections that happen when different parts of the industry come together, whether that’s creators influencing enterprise media or innovations in sport production shaping other areas. That’s where the most meaningful ideas often emerge.
What piece of technology innovation or new trend has stood out for you over the past year?
What’s stood out most over the past year is the pace at which AI has been adopted across the industry. It’s not just being tested in isolated use cases anymore; it’s becoming part of everyday workflows in a very practical way.
What I find interesting is how quickly expectations have shifted. The conversation has moved beyond what AI can do to how it can be used reliably and responsibly at scale. That change in mindset is happening across the industry, and it’s driving a much more grounded and actionable approach to innovation.
Please sum up this year’s NAB Show in three words.
Convergence, collaboration and transformation—reflecting how the industry is coming together, working across boundaries and redefining the possibilities of storytelling.
This article originally appeared in the April issue of TVBEurope, available to download here.
