Now that I’m back in the UK, I finally have some time to consider some of the key themes of the 2026 NAB Show.
My show was a whirlwind of NAB Show Daily reporting, vendor meetings, video recording (more on that shortly), dinners and far too little sleep.
Having picked up on the importance of the Media eXchange Layer at IBC2025, I was excited to see many vendors showcasing the technology on their booths in Vegas (shout out to Comprimato for the MXL-themed tablecloth, which caught my eye as I was rushing past and prompted me to stop for a chat).
I also saw numerous mentions of TAMS (Time Addressable Media Store), which I expect to hear more about in September.
While I’m not a fan of buzzwords, the phrase I heard the most in Vegas was “software-defined”. Software has been a part of this industry for years, but there is a shift underway with the ongoing virtualisation of infrastructure and the industry’s move towards IT.
I also spoke to a number of people about vertical video. TVBEurope has been covering the rise of microdramas in recent months, but we’re starting to see vertical used for other content genres, including news and sport. With Disney and Netflix aiming to take on the likes of TikTok and YouTube Shorts by adding 9:16 content to their platforms, vertical video is set to become a key player in both viewer engagement and content distribution.
But I don’t want to just include my thoughts here. During the show, TVBEurope spoke to attendees to find out what they thought were the dominant themes of the 2026 NAB Show.
Check out TVBEurope’s May/June issue for more reflections from the 2026 NAB Show. If you’re not already a subscriber, sign up for a free copy here.
