NAB Show 2026 closes with 58,000 registered attendees, pointing to stabilising figures

NAB Show has concluded its 2026 edition, welcoming more than 58,000 registered attendees from 146 countries. The show floor featured over 1,100 exhibitors from around the globe, including 132 first-time participants showcasing their innovations, according to an official statement.

Last year, the event closed with 55,000 attendees from 160 countries and 1,050 exhibitors. Following a decline in professional attendance over the past three editions, the 2026 edition points to a stabilisation, although still below the levels reached in previous years: after approaching 65,000 attendees, the figure dropped to 61,000 in 2024.

Driven by a growing community of creators, enterprise media teams and sports media leaders, the event has attracted new audiences and sparked fresh collaborations.

“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”, shares 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 that matter”.

“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”, adds 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”, affirms Nicki Sun, CEO, Nicki Sun Media and NAB Creator Council member.

Global reach

NAB Show attendees hailed from 146 countries. Almost one in four participants traveled from outside the U.S. (22%), while 48% were first-time attendees — almost half of the total audience.

Additionally, the event has informed that three audience areas in particular are driving growth:

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 edition 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.

Show trends, exhibits and connections

The NAB Show defined the future of the evolving media and entertainment landscape, with key trends such as artificial intelligence, creator economy and the intersection of sports and technology at the forefront. The Show featured more than 1,100 exhibitors from around the globe, and highlighting 132 first-time participants showcasing their innovations. Global brands included Sony, Canon, Ross, Blackmagic Design, Adobe, Google Cloud, AT&T and AWS.

“At NAB Show, we talk to studios, to the broadcasters, longstanding customers, but at the same time, we’re able to engage with developers and content creators”, notes Gaby Ferreres, head of Industry Marketing, M&E, Sports, Games and Advertising at AWS. “It’s a broad swath of different audiences that we get to meet with and engage with at NAB”.

Other highlights of the show were new and aimed to enhance networking environments, including a Networking Lounge with meetups and happy hours, and an invite-only Executive Lounge for high-level meetings and conversations.

Speakers and sessions

NAB Show brought together a spectrum of leaders, including representatives from corporations like Microsoft, NBC Sports, FIFA, Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. Top speakers included: