NAB has always been a reflection of where the media industry is heading. This year, it felt more like a confirmation.
The signals are aligning: content is becoming more fluid, AI is becoming foundational, and technology decisions are becoming more intentional. What used to be trends are now operational priorities.
The “Build vs. Buy” Debate Is Shifting…Again
Beyond content and AI, NAB 2026 revealed a more structural transformation: how media companies think about technology itself. For years, the industry leaned heavily on SaaS solutions to scale operations. But today, that model is being re-evaluated.
As Steven Polster, Global Managing Director, Media & Entertainment AI Studio at Globant, observed:
“The pendulum has shifted back… companies are once again building custom software to better meet their specific needs.”
This shift isn’t happening in isolation. It’s being driven by a combination of factors: the limitations of one-size-fits-all platforms, the increasing complexity of media workflows, and the rise of new development models that make customization faster and more accessible.
And the data confirms it: 35% of enterprises have already replaced at least one SaaS tool with a custom-built solution, and 78% plan to build more internal tools this year.
In that context, building custom solutions is about adaptability. As workflows become more complex and interconnected, especially with the rise of AI-driven systems, off-the-shelf tools often struggle to meet the specific needs of each organization. Custom-built solutions, on the other hand, allow companies to design around their own processes, integrate data more effectively, and evolve faster. Media organizations are realizing that in a landscape defined by constant change, flexibility is the real competitive advantage.
AI Has Moved From Experimentation to Infrastructure
If there was a single unifying theme at NAB 2026, it was AI, but not in the way the industry talked about it just a year ago. The conversation has matured. AI is already embedded across the content lifecycle, from production to distribution, and increasingly tied to business outcomes.
“The biggest challenge… is capturing the true full value of AI, not just improving one piece, but rethinking the supply chain as a whole.”
Carolina Dolan Chandler, Chief Technology Officer, Media Entertainment Sports & Hospitality AI Studio at Globant
That distinction is critical. Over the past few years, many organizations have focused on optimizing specific parts of the media supply chain, such as automating editing workflows, improving metadata tagging, accelerating localization, or enhancing recommendations. These are meaningful gains, but they remain incremental.
What’s emerging now is a broader question:
How do you move from isolated efficiency gains to a fully connected, intelligent system?
As Carolina Dolan put it:
“What is it that I need to do to shift from just having a supply chain improved in a little piece to rethinking the supply chain as a whole? How I’m operating my system, how everything is interconnected and interoperated when it comes to these agents.”
This is where the real transformation lies. The next phase of AI in media and entertainment is about orchestration. It’s about designing ecosystems where AI agents operate not in silos but work together across the entire workflow: from content creation and versioning to distribution, personalization, and performance optimization.
In this model, the supply chain becomes adaptive through content supply chain optimization. Systems communicate, data flows continuously, and decisions happen in real time.
The Streaming Era Is Becoming a Creator-Led Ecosystem
One of the clearest signals at NAB was how quickly the boundaries between traditional media and the creator economy are dissolving.
The growth itself tells the story: creator attendance at NAB increased by 140% compared to the previous year, highlighting how creators are no longer peripheral; they’re central to the ecosystem.
But beyond numbers, the shift is behavioral. As Sebastian Gesualdo, VP Technology Media & Entertainment AI Studio at Globant, shared:
“Streaming is getting closer to social media and the creator economy… everyone is talking about vertical video, faster discovery, and personalized experiences.”
This reflects a broader industry reality: audiences no longer distinguish between professionally produced content and creator-driven content. They move seamlessly between both, expecting the same immediacy, relevance, and personalization.
The implication is clear: content strategies can no longer be platform-specific but audience-native, fluid, and built for discovery.
Let’s Build What’s Next
At Globant, we’re working alongside media and entertainment leaders to navigate this shift, designing AI-powered, end-to-end ecosystems that redefine how content is created, distributed, and experienced.
Discover how we’re shaping the future at our Media & Entertainment Studio.
