The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) unveiled new sessions and speakers for the NAB Show New York. This year’s event offered an even broader mix of creators, producers, and decision-makers from the fields of broadcast, streaming, sports, live events, marketing, film, and television.
Trust, AI and the future of news
Few topics have dominated journalistic debate as much as the role of artificial intelligence, and NAB Show New York addressed it head-on. Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media analyst, participated in the featured session Trust, Misinformation and News Credibility: Rebuilding the Public’s Confidence in Journalism. He was joined by Oliver Darcy (founder of Status, formerly of CNN) and Sara Fischer (media correspondent at Axios), with Patrick Healy (The New York Times) as moderator.
Earlier that same day, NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt moderated The Future of News: AI, New Revenues and Risks, and the Policy Response, where results from a new national survey on Americans’ perceptions of AI and trust in the media were presented.
 |
 |
We’ve all heard the promises of AI, but in journalism, trust is the real currency. This session got to the heart of it: how do we innovate without losing the human element? said Karen Chupka, Executive Vice President of NAB Global Connections and Events.
Women’s sports and the creator economy take center stage
The sports and lifestyle brand TOGETHXR — founded by renowned athletes Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Chloe Kim, and Simone Manuel — headlined the new programming block Sports Creators Get in the Game.
In the keynote talk titled Rising TOGETHXR: Shaping the Next Era of Sports Media Coverage, Nancy Dubuc (former CEO of Vice Media and A+E Networks) and Kati Fernandez, Chief Content Officer, discussed how the athlete-founded brand has grown into a multi-platform force spanning social media, streaming, and brand partnerships. Michael Depp, Chief Content Officer at NewsCheckMedia, served as moderator.
“Nancy and Kati represent the kind of leadership that turns ideas into movements”, said Chupka. “They’ve transformed a startup built on athlete vision into a true media player, proving that women’s sports have momentum and staying power”.
 |
 |
The business of soccer: building toward the 2026 World Cup
Stu Holden, lead soccer analyst for FOX Sports and former U.S. Men’s National Team player, moderated the keynote session Game PLAN 2026: Building the Brand and Business of U.S. Soccer. Participants included Catherine Newman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and David Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of the U.S. Soccer Federation, in a conversation about cultivating fandom and strategy leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Fans no longer just watch — they build communities around their teams. Hearing how U.S. Soccer is turning that passion into strategy, with Stu’s player perspective, made for a truly dynamic session on America’s place in the game, noted Chupka.
Tech leaders driving change
Theater B hosted sessions with senior executives from major media and technology organizations who analyzed how data and AI are transforming operations and audience engagement:
- Paul Ballew, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, NFL
- Ira Rubenstein, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, PBS
- Ahad Bhatti, Chief Technology Officer, C-SPAN
“It’s not every day you see the NFL, PBS, and C-SPAN on the same stage”, said Chupka. “Each is reinventing what connection looks like, whether through data, storytelling, or pure creativity”.
 |
 |
Inside the hustle: the modern creator
For the new generation of content creators, the session Creators Unplugged: Inside the Hustle, Heart & Hacks featured Shira Lazar (host and founder of What’s Trending), Dylan Huey (creator, entrepreneur, and CEO of Reach Influence), and Zach Blank (Head of Content for chef Nick DiGiovanni’s YouTube channel, with 29 million subscribers), who shared what it takes to build sustainable creator-led businesses.
Beyond the main sessions, Puff Media showcased how data-driven storytelling intersects with social commerce within the creator economy. As a leading TikTok Shop Agency Partner and the team behind viral sensation @ThatLittlePuff, the company offered live demos and workshops with creators such as Elijah Yeroushalmi and Ziad Bon, illustrating how short-form video, live production, and e-commerce are converging to drive the next wave of creator-led growth.
Creators aren’t waiting for permission anymore. They’re building their own empires, often with little more than a laptop and a ring light. We wanted this session to provide them with practical takeaways — and maybe a bit of inspiration too, said Chupka.
From the application of artificial intelligence in journalism to the rapid transformation of the creator economy, NAB Show New York 2025 brought together the professionals living these changes every day. The event combined interactive exhibits, inspiring talks, and the unmistakable energy of New York, creating a unique space for idea exchange and media innovation.
