NAB2026
NAB Show 2026 plans to expand its sports summit to four days, bringing together leaders from leagues, teams, broadcast networks, streaming platforms and technology companies to examine the rapidly evolving business of sports media. NAB Show will take place April 18-22, 2026 (exhibition April 19-22) at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The four-day summit, taking place in the Sports Theater on the West Hall exhibit floor, will explore how production, distribution, investment and policy are reshaping the live sports experience and creating new revenue opportunities. For the first time, the summit will be open to all attendees with an exhibit floor pass.
NAB 2026 Sports Summit Details
The Sports Summit will feature John Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships at NBC Sports, who will join John Orlando of Puck’s “The Varsity” on the main stage for a fireside chat titled “The NBC Sports Playbook: Rights, Partnerships, and What’s Next.” The session will examine the strategy behind NBC’s major rights acquisitions and distribution partnerships at a critical inflection point in the industry. The session comes on the heels of NBC Sports’ “Legendary February,” which crammed the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl 60, and the NBA All-Star Game into the shortest month of the year.
“While the media landscape continues to evolve, terrestrial broadcasting remains stronger and more important than ever. Our long-term sports agreements always include broadcasting as a key component for our partners,” commented Mr. Miller.
The Sports Summit will also delve deeper into other sports business drivers, including:
- “The State of Sports Media: Broadcast Rights, Reach, and Revenue”: A global look at where leagues stand in media rights, platform distribution, and revenue models amid an increasingly fragmented audience.
- “Private Equity, Sovereign Wealth Funds, and the Future of Sports Ownership”: Examining how new capital is entering leagues and teams and what it means for governance and long-term growth.
- “Athletes as Corporations: Power, Platforms, and Ownership”: Exploring athlete-led brands, production companies, and equity ownership.
- “Sports Betting and the New Fan Economy”: Examining how betting, data rights and evolving regulations are reshaping fan engagement and media partnerships.
- “Women’s Sport at a Tipping Point”: Discuss how broadcast rights strategies, brand investments and distribution models are turning momentum into long-term business value.
- “Globalizing Sports: Building Fans Across Borders”: Explore strategies for expanding leagues and fan bases in international markets through localized content and global partnerships.
- “The Fan Experience Reimagined” and “Stadium of the Future: A Technology-Driven Venue Experience” explore how personalization, immersive production and venue innovation are coming together to create a connected, technology-driven fan experience across physical and digital environments.
“The economics of sports media are being rewritten in real time. John Miller and other leaders from leagues, teams, venues and investment groups will join forces to bring together the executives who are actively shaping the future of broadcast rights, partnerships and fan engagement,” Karen Chupka, Executive Vice President, NAB Global Connections & Events, said.
NAB 2026 Sports Summit confirmed speakers (titles omitted) are as follows:
- Laura “LJ” Johnson, Executive Producer and Senior Director of Game Presentations and Live Events, San Francisco 49ers
- Allen T. Lamb, co-founder and CEO of EuroStep Ventures and majority owner of Levallois Metropolitans Basketball Club
- Rebecca Kakaba, co-founder and CEO of DealMaker, an AI-powered fundraising platform that has facilitated over $2.5 billion in investments, brings team, ownership, and investment perspectives to the summit.
- Ameeth Sankaran, CEO of Religion of Sports, co-founded by filmmaker Gossam Chopra, NFL legend Tom Brady, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan
- Jeff Ross: Partner at Bruin Capital
- Shelby Williams: Head of Integrated Sports Marketing at AWS
- Sports Summit Sponsors: Amazon Web Services, Aliliear ASA, Dolby, Eluvio, Evergent, Inc., Google Cloud, Imagine Communications, Lumen Technologies, Inc., NVIDIA, OlienDrives, Shure Incorliorated, TwelveLabs, Verizon Business, etc.
- Sports-focused exhibitors: Canon, DJI, Dolby, EVS, Google, Imagine Communications, Insta360, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Ross, Shure, Sony, Verizon, and others
- Major registered sports leagues: MLB, NBA, NASCAR, NFL, NHL, LIGA Tour, US Soccer Federation, UFC
- Major participating teams: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Liverpool FC, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, San Francisco 49ers
In the West Hall lobby, attendees can take part in an experiential demonstration. AWS and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) will showcase an AI-enabled digital basketball shooting experience that analyzes participants’ shots in real time and generates personalized performance insights. This experiential demo is an example of how AI and cloud technology are impacting both athlete performance and fan interaction.
Attendees, exhibitors and accredited press can learn more and register at nabshow.com/las-vegas .
