AI and its impact on media and entertainment, the creator economy, and live sports – from broadcast rights to distribution – are among the areas of focus at this year’s NAB Show, April 18–22, at Las Vegas Convention Center.
Bringing together more than 1,100 exhibitors with platforms and decision-makers in media and content, NAB Show says the global media, entertainment and tech industries are entering a new phase, defined “not by experimentation, but by execution” as AI is integrated into core workflows and creators emerge as fully-scaled businesses.
NAB Show says that broader transformation will be reflected across the show floor and its conference programming, as media workflows become increasingly cloud-based and software-driven, and the lines between media, tech and advertising are increasingly blurred.
“We’re at a point where the biggest shifts in media are no longer theoretical. They’re happening in real time across how content is created, distributed and monetized,” said Karen Chupka, Executive Vice President, Global Connections and Events at NAB. “NAB Show brings together the leaders building that future, and the business decisions shaping what comes next.”
This year’s show floor will feature nearly double the number of AI exhibitors as last year, including two AI Pavilions. Exhibitors include Gyrus AI (West Hall), Imagen Video (North Hall), Speechmatics (North Hall), TwelveLabs (West Hall), Veritone (West Hall) and Vizrt (North Hall). Companies like Adobe, AWS, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Google Cloud will also demonstrate how AI is being applied across the content lifecycle.
Sports media programming expanded
Among other changes, NAB Show has expanded its Sports Summit to four days this year, bringing together leaders from leagues, teams, broadcasters, streaming platforms and investment firms to examine how capital, partnerships and platform fragmentation are reshaping the market.
Key discussions will focus on media rights strategy, the role of private equity and sovereign investment, athlete-led business models and the evolution of the fan experience across streaming, data and live environments. Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions and Partnerships for NBC Sports, will headline a fireside chat on rights, partnerships and the future of distribution at a critical moment for the industry.
Exhibiting companies demonstrating sports innovations include: Canon (Central Hall), DJI (Central Hall), Dolby (West Hall), EVS (North Hall), Lumen (West Hall), Ross (North Hall), Shure (Central Hall) and Sony (Central Hall). AWS will also stage a Cloud Court Challenge activation in the West Hall Lobby, an AI-enabled, digital basketball shooting experience analyzing participants’ shots in real time and generating personalized performance insights.
Creators emerging as scalable businesses
NAB Show has additionally expanded its Creator Lab, now located in Central Hall, as the creator economy enters a more structured phase and creators move beyond audience-building to develop scalable businesses, own intellectual property and compete for distribution and revenue.
Programming will address the realities behind creator economy growth, including how success is measured beyond views, how creators are navigating contracts and burnout, and how AI is reshaping the creative process.
NAB Show is anticipating more than double the number of registered creators, influencers and podcasters, compared to 2025.
