NABPILOT

What NABPILOT does

NAB PILOT is the technology innovation program of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), a non-profit trade association headquartered in Washington, D.C. It operates as a coalition of innovators, educators, and advocates focused on advancing broadcast technologies and cultivating new media opportunities for the U.S. radio and television industry. PILOT's mission centers on coordinating industry-wide technology transitions — most prominently the migration to ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV — and on developing emerging broadcast capabilities such as the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS)™, a terrestrial Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service that uses ATSC 3.0 broadcast signals as a complement to GPS and has demonstrated approximately 3.38-meter ground accuracy in field testing with NIST and the University of Alabama.

PILOT's core products and resources include the BPS™ technology program, the TxID Assignment Table at TXID.NABPILOT.org for ATSC 3.0 transmitter identification in Single Frequency Networks, the BEIT Conference Proceedings, the PILOT Radio Test Bed, a Prototype Software Portal, and an ATSC 3.0 Station Transition Guide. Educational and ecosystem programs include the NextGen TV News Technology Lab (a three-year, $2.5 million Knight Foundation–funded initiative), the NextGen TV Fellowship (university partnerships with Howard University, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, and Clark Atlanta University, supported by AWS), the annual PILOT Innovation Challenge for broadcast technology startups, and the Futures Park exhibition at NAB Show. Technical awards (NAB Technology Innovation Award, BEIT Best Paper Awards, Engineering Achievement Awards) reinforce thought leadership.

The organization's business model is that of an industry association program rather than a commercial enterprise. Activities are funded through NAB membership dues, conference and workshop fees (e.g., SBE Ennes Workshops), foundation grants (notably the Knight Foundation), and corporate sponsorships (notably AWS). PILOT serves multiple stakeholder segments: broadcast television station groups (Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group are named collaborators on ATSC 3.0 and BPS), broadcast engineers and media technologists, broadcast technology startups, and university research programs. There is no commercial product sales channel; resources, research, and educational content are distributed free to broadcast industry participants.

Name

NABPILOT

Legal name

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) / PILOT

Website

https://nabpilot.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NAB PILOT is the technology innovation program of the National Association of Broadcasters, advancing broadcast technologies including ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV and the Broadcast Positioning System. It serves U.S. broadcast stations, engineers, and startups through R&D, standards support, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Technology Research

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)

akta.pro primary industry

Graphics, Branding & Character Generation (CG) (MPAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Broadcast technology research
• ATSC 3.0 transition support
• Broadcast positioning systems
• NextGen TV deployment
• Broadcast industry standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Industry Association Operations: PILOT operates as a program within NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), a non-profit industry trade association. Activities are funded through NAB membership fees, conference revenues, grants, and sponsorships rather than direct product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NAB PILOT operates as the technology innovation initiative of the National Association of Broadcasters, conducting R&D and providing programs around ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV transition, Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) development, and emerging broadcast technologies. The initiative supports broadcast stations with standards guidance, educational programming, innovation challenges, and research dissemination through events like the annual NAB Show and BEIT Conference.

Product overview

NAB PILOT is a coalition of innovators, educators, and advocates dedicated to advancing broadcast technologies and cultivating new media opportunities for the National Association of Broadcasters. The organization operates as a research and innovation hub offering multiple interconnected programs and technologies. Core offerings include the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS)™ - a terrestrial PNT technology using ATSC 3.0 signals - and comprehensive NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 initiatives. PILOT provides supporting infrastructure including the TxID Assignment Table for transmitter identification, the Radio Test Bed for testing broadcast technologies, and the Prototype Software Portal. Educational programs include the NextGen TV Fellowship (university partnerships) and the PILOT Innovation Challenge (startup competition). Research dissemination occurs through BEIT Conference Proceedings and Futures Park exhibition. Additional initiatives support first-party data strategies, news technology labs, and broadcast station transition guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Futures Park: Premier global showcase for cutting-edge research and development of broadcast, media and entertainment technology at NAB Show
• NextGen TV News Technology Lab
• Broadcast Positioning System (BPS)
• Innovation Challenge
• PILOT NextGen TV Fellowship

Products and services

• Broadcast Positioning System (BPS)™ A terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technology using ATSC 3.0 broadcast signals as a complement to GPS. Designed for broadcasters and critical infrastructure operators needing precision timing and approximately 3.38-meter positioning accuracy comparable to GPS-based services.
• NextGen TV / ATSC 3.0 Deployment Program Standards guidance and deployment support program for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0), enabling IP-based hybrid broadcast/OTT services, advanced emergency alerting, and timing resilience capabilities for broadcast stations.
• NextGen TV News Technology Lab Three-year initiative supported by a $2.5 million Knight Foundation grant to help local TV broadcasters leverage ATSC 3.0 technology to better serve communities through locally focused journalism.
• TxID Assignment Table Web-based system for assigning 13-bit Transmitter Identification codes (TxIDs) for ATSC 3.0 transmitters, enabling single frequency network optimization and station identification.
• PILOT NextGen TV Fellowship Academic fellowship program partnering with universities (Howard University, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, Clark Atlanta University), supported by AWS sponsorship, to empower students to explore and innovate with NextGen TV technology.
• PILOT Innovation Challenge Annual competition for startup companies to showcase solutions addressing real challenges facing broadcasters at NAB Show's Startup Pavilion/PropelME. Winners receive travel stipends and exhibition opportunities.
• BEIT Conference Proceedings Annual technical conference proceedings documenting broadcast engineering and IT research presented at the NAB Show, covering topics including ATSC 3.0, AI, cloud-native architectures, and IP-based infrastructure.
• Futures Park Exhibition Premier global showcase for cutting-edge research and development in broadcast, media, and entertainment technology at NAB Show, featuring emerging technologies from industry and academia.
• Prototype Software Portal Online resource for accessing prototype software developed by PILOT and collaborators for broadcast technology innovation and testing.
• Radio Test Bed Testing facility for radio broadcast technologies enabling development and validation of HD Radio, FM-band digital radio, and emerging radio transmission innovations.
• First-Party Data Accelerator Initiative helping broadcasters leverage first-party data for direct-to-consumer engagement and monetization strategies.
• NAB Next Generation Television (ATSC 3.0) Station Transition Guide Comprehensive resource for broadcast stations transitioning to NextGen TV, providing technical guidance and operational best practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.38-meter positioning accuracy achieved with BPS
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026PILOT participated in the ATIS Workshop on Synchronization and Timing Systems (WSTS) 2026, presenting BPS developments and research. The workshop focused on how industries can maintain reliable timing and positioning services when GPS signals are disrupted.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAB collaborates with NIST on Broadcast Positioning System research. Jeffrey A. Sherman of NIST worked with University of Alabama researchers on BPS positioning performance testing. Previous collaboration demonstrated that BPS time transfer performance achieves stability levels comparable to GPS-referenced timing systems.
• The University of AlabamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Alabama researchers led by Dr. Thejesh N. Bandi collaborated with NIST on BPS field experiments demonstrating approximately 3.38-meter positioning accuracy. Researchers Jahnvi Verma and Thomas Roden participated in the research including modeling, signal analysis, and field measurements.
• Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPILOT works closely with ATSC on NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) standards development, deployment guidance, and transmitter identification (TxID) assignment tables. ATSC published Recommended Practice A/371 on ATSC 3.0 service delivery to MVPDs, developed with NAB input.
• Sinclair Broadcast GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSinclair Broadcast Group's senior VP of engineering Harvey Arnold coordinates BPS field testing at Sinclair ATSC 3.0 stations and promotes awareness of the technology's potential. Sinclair operates numerous NextGen TV host stations.
• Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPILOT collaborates with SBE on the annual Ennes Workshops at NAB Show, providing RF fundamentals and emerging technology training. SBE and NAB jointly developed Broadcast Station Self Inspection Guides for FCC compliance.
• Startup Pavilion / PropelME at NAB ShowcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPILOT collaborates with NAB Show's Startup Pavilion (PropelME) for the annual Innovation Challenge, offering startup companies opportunities to showcase broadcast-relevant solutions and receive travel support, exhibition space, and coaching.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Technology Association (CTA): CTA operates as a broader industry trade association running CES and developing cross-industry technology standards. It is comparable to NAB/PILOT as a peer trade-association model but spans consumer electronics rather than specializing in broadcast technology R&D.
• Xperi (DTS/AutoStage): Xperi is a 2024 NAB Technology Innovation Award winner and commercial provider of HD Radio, DTS AutoStage, and broadcast metadata services. It overlaps with PILOT in broadcast technology standards and demonstrates industry traction for NextGen-adjacent products.

Direct peers

• IEEE Broadcast Technology Society: IEEE BTS co-sponsors the NAB BEIT Conference Best Paper and Best Student Paper Awards with PILOT. Both organizations advance broadcast engineering research and serve broadcast engineer communities with overlapping membership and conference ecosystems.
• European Broadcasting Union (EBU): EBU is a 2026 NAB Technology Innovation Award winner and operates broadcast R&D and innovation programs analogous to PILOT, including content authenticity (C2PA) work demonstrated in Futures Park. Comparable as an international broadcast-industry innovation coalition serving member broadcasters.
• Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC): ATSC develops the NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) standard that PILOT helps deploy, and the two organizations co-publish Recommended Practices such as A/371. They share the same broadcast-standards mission and overlapping stakeholder base of station groups and equipment manufacturers.
• Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE): SBE co-develops broadcast training (Ennes Workshops) and compliance resources with PILOT, and serves the same broadcast engineer persona. Both organizations focus on technical workforce development and standards adoption within U.S. broadcasting.
• NPR Labs: NPR Labs conducts R&D on radio broadcast technologies, accessibility services, and emergency alerting for public radio. It parallels PILOT's Radio Test Bed and innovation programs on the radio side of broadcasting, serving a comparable engineering and accessibility mission.
• BBC Research & Development: BBC R&D conducts broadcast technology research (including 5G-supported broadcasts of the King's Coronation, which won NAB's 2024 BEIT Best Paper Award). It is a directly comparable public-broadcaster R&D division working on next-generation broadcast and IP-based production.

Emerging players

• Triveni Digital: Triveni Digital provides ATSC 3.0 monitoring, guide, and transport stream products to U.S. broadcasters. It is an emerging commercial player whose products directly support the NextGen TV deployments that PILOT helps coordinate and standardize.
• Digital Alert Systems: Digital Alert Systems provides emergency alerting solutions for ATSC 3.0 broadcasters, addressing one of PILOT's highlighted use cases for NextGen TV. Comparable as a vendor in the same NextGen TV value chain focused on advanced emergency alerting capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nabpilot
• Facebookfacebook.com/nabpilot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nabpilot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NABPILOT