FEED’s guide to NAB Show 2026
I t’s that time again. Sunny Las Vegas is soon to With expected key topics to include AI-driven storytelling, as well as the overall reinvention of broadcast spaces as we know them, one thing that’s for certain is that NAB Show isn’t just a trade show, it’s the event that sets the tone for the upcoming year – helping us understand exactly where the industry is heading next. This year, NAB has made it clear that 2026 isn’t about incremental updates, it’s about ‘major programme enhancements’, designed to reflect a rapidly evolving media technology sector. The organisers promise ‘a dynamic experience which mirrors the transformation across broadcasting, streaming and content creation’, and that idea runs through everything that’s been announced so far, with the emphasis also on the topic of convergence. It’s started to become apparent that broadcast is no longer just broadcast, streaming isn’t just streaming and sport isn’t just sport. Everything overlaps and intersects – and NAB Show 2026 is due to lean fully into that gear shift. A show floor that actually means something become the beating heart of media, entertainment and technology for the 103rd edition of NAB Show. But before you pick up your gambling chips or look into hiring the city’s finest Elvis impersonator, we’re here to help you prepare for what this year’s event has to offer. For years, industry events have wrestled with how to make physical exhibition spaces feel relevant in a hybrid, post- pandemic world. With that in mind, NAB has shared that its approach for 2026 is to reimagine it entirely. At the centre of this rethink is the newly designed TV and Radio HQ, which is being repositioned not as a niche The future of broadcast, streaming and content creation is due to land in Las Vegas for another year Words by Verity Butler
corner, but as a central and integrated hub. According to NAB, this space will feature ‘new programming and a prominent Central Hall presence’. The show aims to create a more cohesive and immersive experience for attendees, blending education, exhibition and networking into something that feels less segmented and more organic. “The TV and Radio HQ for 2026 reflects the way in which broadcasters want to experience NAB Show today, with relevant, high-energy programming that’s integrated directly into the show floor,” says Karen Chupka, executive vice president of global connections and events at NAB. “This new Central Hall presence makes it easier for broadcasters, exhibitors and attendees to connect, discover ideas and engage with the conversations shaping the future of television and radio.” The enhanced HQ will feature the HQ Theatre, offering entertaining sessions and live conversations showcasing the trends, technologies and talent impacting TV, radio and audio storytelling in the years to come. Alongside the theatre, the NAB Member Lounge has curated networking activations and offers members an elevated space to gather, exchange ideas and engage with peers. From live demos bleeding into panel discussions, spontaneous conversations turning into partnerships worth many a dollar, the ultimate aim here is to enable a cross-pollination that only happens when you stop separating ‘tech people’ from ‘content people’. Sports Summit sets new goals If there’s one sector where media innovation is happening at breakneck speed, it’s sports. Where other areas of the industry have struggled at times, grappling with the surge of the creator economy and social media, sports have remained as an ever-evolving, content-churning machine. And it’s a machine that demands increasingly complicated broadcast tools and solutions to sustain its enormity. This year, NAB’s Sports Summit is expanding to four full days, which serves as a clear acknowledgement that
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