National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters is a 100-year-old U.S. trade association representing local radio and television broadcasters, delivering federal advocacy, the NAB Show exhibitions, technology initiatives including NextGen TV and the Broadcast Positioning System, and member benefit programs to its station, associate, and international members.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1922
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What National Association of Broadcasters does
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a private, member-driven trade association founded in 1922 that represents U.S. radio and television broadcasters, headquartered at 1 M Street SE, Washington, D.C. NAB's primary functions are federal legislative and regulatory advocacy before Congress and the FCC, technology standards and innovation leadership, and the operation of the NAB Show — a flagship annual trade exhibition in Las Vegas that drew 58,000+ registered attendees from 146 countries and 1,100+ exhibitors in 2026, plus the regional NAB Show New York (12,000 attendees, 260 exhibitors). Technology initiatives include the PILOT innovation coalition, the NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) rollout (77% of U.S. households reachable), and the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), a terrestrial GPS backup built on broadcast tower infrastructure that received a $744,000 U.S. Department of Transportation contract and was spun off into Merkhet Solutions Inc. in June 2026.
NAB's revenue model is a mix of recurring annual membership dues (tiered for TV/radio stations, associate and international members, and low-power stations), event-based revenue from exhibit space, conference registration and sponsorships, and affiliate referral fees from affinity partners (UPS, rental cars, insurance, HR solutions). The organization serves multiple customer segments: local TV broadcasters and local radio broadcasters as primary, plus a growing content creator segment served through the Creator Lab and the 2026 Content Creator VIP Program, and an associate/international tier of technology vendors and global broadcasters. Additional revenue-adjacent activities include award programs (Crystal Radio Awards, Marconi Radio Awards, Service to America Awards), the NAB Leadership Foundation's professional development programs, the AirTime policy podcast launched in May 2026, and Google News Initiative AI training delivered to member stations in 2026.
NAB's business is governed by an elected board (2026 leadership includes Collin Jones as joint board chair, Nick Radziul as TV board chair, and Chris Ornelas as radio board chair) and operated by an executive team led by President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, with Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan and a recent addition of SVP & Deputy General Counsel Ben Arden (ex-FCC, 15 years). The organization has 101–250 employees and no parent company or external investors; it is supported by grassroots advocacy muscle (238,797+ messages to policymakers, 820,000+ messages supporting AM radio) and federal advertising spend ($52M on ownership rule modernization in 2025).
National Association of Broadcasters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Association of Broadcasters
- Legal name
- National Association of Broadcasters
- Website
- https://nab.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1922
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The National Association of Broadcasters is a 100-year-old U.S. trade association representing local radio and television broadcasters, delivering federal advocacy, the NAB Show exhibitions, technology initiatives including NextGen TV and the Broadcast Positioning System, and member benefit programs to its station, associate, and international members.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Association of Broadcasters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Broadcast Trade Association
- NAICS
- Media Representatives (54184), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry Trade Shows & Expos (MPAGAGAA)
Keywords
Where National Association of Broadcasters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
National Association of Broadcasters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from TV/radio stations, associate members, and international members. Dues are based on revenue for associate members and number of stations for international members.
- Event Revenue: Revenue from NAB Show Las Vegas, NAB Show New York, and State Leadership Conference including exhibit space sales, conference registration, and sponsorship.
- Member Services and Benefits: Cost-saving benefit programs through affinity partners including UPS shipping discounts, rental car discounts, insurance programs, and HR solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Television and Radio Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate/International Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Low Power Station Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
National Association of Broadcasters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a 501(c)(6) trade association that represents U.S. radio and television broadcasters. It sells annual memberships (TV/radio station, associate, international, and low-power tiers), operates the NAB Show and NAB Show New York trade exhibitions, runs advocacy and regulatory engagement programs before the FCC and Congress, and delivers technology initiatives such as the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), PILOT innovation coalition, and NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) deployment support.
Product overview
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) operates as a trade association offering events, technology initiatives, advocacy programs, education services, and awards. The core offerings include NAB Show and NAB Show New York (major trade events), the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) technology for GPS backup, PILOT innovation programs, Google News Initiative AI training, the AirTime policy podcast, and various awards programs (Crystal Radio Awards, Marconi Radio Awards). NAB also advocates for broadcasters on regulatory issues and provides member resources through the Broadcast Resource Hub.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NAB Show: Premier global event for media, entertainment and technology professionals held annually in Las Vegas
- NAB Show New York
- PILOT
- AirTime
- NAB Leadership Foundation
- Crystal Radio Awards
- Marconi Radio Awards
- Service to America Awards
- We Are Broadcasters
Products and services
- NAB Show (Las Vegas)
Quantifiable outcome
- Broadcast stations generate $1.19 trillion in economic activity and provide 2.46 million jobs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use National Association of Broadcasters
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
National Association of Broadcasters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
National Association of Broadcasters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Google News InitiativecoreFree AI training program for NAB member stations through live virtual sessions covering journalism workflows, content creation, verification, and research skills. Six sessions running July-September 2026, designed for news, content, and digital teams with practical hands-on instruction.
- DeluxeminorPartnership with AudioShake (2024 PILOT Innovation Challenge winner) to offer stem separation technology to Deluxe's broadcast clients for content localization and catalog reservice.
- Dominion EnergycoreField testing partnership for Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) technology development. Dominion Energy providing real-world testing environment for GPS backup system using broadcast TV infrastructure.
- U.S. Department of Transportationcore$744,000 contract awarded to NAB for Broadcast Positioning System development, supporting national infrastructure protection through GPS backup technology.
- State Broadcasters AssociationscoreAll 50 state broadcasters associations collaborating with NAB on advocacy efforts including sports broadcasting preservation, ownership rules modernization, and AM radio protection.
- Congressional Broadcasters CaucuscoreBipartisan congressional caucus educating policymakers about broadcast issues. Co-chaired by Reps. Mark Alford, Brendan Boyle, Mike Flood, and Darren Soto.
- NAB Leadership FoundationcoreNAB's nonprofit arm working to build a diverse, innovative future for broadcasting through leadership training, Broadcast Leadership Training Program (25 years), and Broadcast Career Link.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
National Association of Broadcasters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Consumer Technology Association: Trade association that runs CES, the world's largest tech trade show, with a comparable membership and large-scale event business model. Both organizations monetize membership dues plus flagship exhibitions and pursue policy advocacy on behalf of member industries.
- National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA): Cable and broadband industry trade association that performs federal advocacy, regulatory engagement, and policy work on behalf of member distributors — directly comparable to NAB's role representing broadcasters before the FCC and Congress.
- Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA): Trade association serving broadcast and digital journalists with advocacy, ethics standards, and professional development. Closely overlaps NAB's newsroom-facing training, awards, and journalism initiatives such as the NextGen TV News Tech Lab.
- Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE): Professional society for broadcast engineers that provides certification, education, and frequency-coordination services. Comparable to NAB on the engineering/technology side of broadcasting, including shared interest in ATSC 3.0 and BPS technical standards.
- North American Broadcasters Association (NABA): International broadcasting association coordinating on technology, content, and policy across North American broadcasters. Closely mirrors NAB's combination of international membership and standards-setting activity, particularly around NextGen TV and HD Radio.
Broad incumbents
- Motion Picture Association (MPA): Trade body representing major film and streaming studios with federal advocacy and anti-piracy focus. Operates in the broader media/ecosystem alongside NAB and is a co-participant in the NO FAKES Act coalition, but represents content owners rather than distribution broadcasters.
- Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB): Digital advertising trade association setting standards and providing advocacy for the online ad ecosystem. Comparable trade-association structure but focused on digital ad tech rather than over-the-air broadcasting, putting it in adjacent competition for ad spend.
Emerging players
- Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC): Standards body that defines ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV specifications which NAB promotes. Operates as a technology-focused counterpart to NAB's broader advocacy mission and is a direct ecosystem partner on NextGen TV rollout.
Others
- Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA): Music industry trade association that co-advocates with NAB on issues like the NO FAKES Act. Not a direct competitor but a parallel trade-association structure for an adjacent content industry facing similar streaming-era pressures.
- American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's): Trade association representing US advertising agencies with a comparable membership + advocacy + industry-events model. Adjacent rather than direct, as its members are ad agencies that buy inventory from NAB's broadcast station members.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National Association of Broadcasters social profiles
Digital presenceNational Association of Broadcasters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Association of Broadcasters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
National Association of Broadcasters subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
National Association of Broadcasters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Association of Broadcasters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Association of Broadcasters
What does National Association of Broadcasters do?
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a 501(c)(6) trade association that represents U.S. radio and television broadcasters. It sells annual memberships (TV/radio station, associate, international, and low-power tiers), operates the NAB Show and NAB Show New York trade exhibitions, runs advocacy and regulatory engagement programs before the FCC and Congress, and delivers technology initiatives such as the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), PILOT innovation coalition, and NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) deployment support.
Is National Association of Broadcasters a public or private company?
National Association of Broadcasters is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was National Association of Broadcasters founded?
National Association of Broadcasters was founded in 1922. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is National Association of Broadcasters based?
National Association of Broadcasters is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Association of Broadcasters make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are event Revenue and member Services and Benefits.
Who are National Association of Broadcasters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Consumer Technology Association, National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) and North American Broadcasters Association (NABA). Broad incumbents are Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is listed as an emerging player. Others are Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's).
Does National Association of Broadcasters have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Association of Broadcasters.
What industry is National Association of Broadcasters in?
National Association of Broadcasters's product category is Broadcast Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAA, Industry Trade Shows & Expos. Its NAICS code is 54184 and its SIC code is 4833.