NAB Show New York 2026 opens registration with focus on IP infrastructure

NAB Show New York serves as the primary B2B touchpoint for East Coast media engineering and streaming strategy. For technical leaders, the inclusion of the SMPTE ST 2110 bootcamp signals that uncompressed IP transport has moved from experimental to a mandatory operational competency. Competitively, the show's focus on AI business models at the end of Q4 allows vendors to capture year-end budget cycles as firms shift from AI experimentation to deployment. Watch for registration conversion rates among the 'creator economy' segment, which accounted for a significant portion of the 62% newcomer rate in 2025, to see if professional toolsets are successfully penetrating the prosumer market.

The 2026 scheduling reinforces a broader trend toward specialized, regional B2B summits that complement the massive Las Vegas gathering. Per TV Technology (January 2026), the main NAB Show in April 2026 reported over 58,000 registered attendees, highlighting a 'refreshed' focus on AI and software-defined infrastructure. While the Las Vegas event remains the 'Super Bowl' for global hardware debuts, the New York show has leaned into its identity as a hub for live production and creator-led business models, which accounted for a high percentage of for-profit content discussions at the 2025 wraparound sessions.

Technically, the emphasis on SMPTE ST 2110 at the 2026 show aligns with the maturation of IP-first plants. According to Cabsat (January 2026), IP-based production has transitioned into the 'default design' for multi-venue operations, shifting the economic model from SDI hardware toward COTS switches and software licenses. This infrastructure shift is particularly critical for the sports track at the Javits Center, as remote production margin expansion remains a top priority for broadcasters looking to reduce on-site truck footprints.

The 2025 attendance data, which saw 11,500 registrants from 95 countries, also highlights the growing international reach of regional events. Per TVBEurope (April 2025), approximately 10% of the New York audience now travels from outside the U.S., mirroring a similar trend at the Las Vegas show where one in four attendees is international. This indicates that B2B vendors are increasingly using the New York event to finalize deals with Atlantic-region buyers who prioritize engineering workshops over the high-level strategy keynotes found at CES or the IAB NewFronts.