After several packed days at NAB Show in Las Vegas, one thing was clear: the streaming industry is no longer in its experimental phase – it’s in the midst of a structural transformation. 

The show floor buzzed with excitement around AI, workflow evolution, and platform strategy. But beneath the tech demos and panel discussions was a unifying message: the future of streaming hinges on sustainable growth, smart automation, and a relentless focus on audience engagement.

Here’s a look at the biggest themes and lessons NAB 2025 left us with – and what they mean for the direction of streaming media.

Profit Over Pure Growth: A New Era of Discipline

The industry’s shift from growth-at-all-costs to profit-focused models was echoed in nearly every keynote and panel. Whether it was platform executives, vendors, or creatives, the sentiment was the same. Streaming must become a financially sustainable business.

The days of pouring billions into content without a clear return are over. Today’s winners will be the companies that take a disciplined approach to investment and use data to drive smarter, faster decisions. As Josh Stinehour of Devoncroft Partners noted, “The decisions being made [about AI implementation] over the next 12 months will disproportionately impact the industry for the next decade.”

AI Has Officially Arrived – Now It’s About Doing It Right

If there was one thing that dominated NAB Show, it was AI. But not as a future buzzword. This year, the conversations moved beyond “what’s possible” to “what’s working.”

AI is now deeply embedded across the streaming ecosystem – from automated localization and metadata tagging to personalized user interfaces and content recommendations. The real opportunity? Freeing up human talent to focus on creative work.

As Tom Staggs (Candle Media, former Disney COO) put it, “It will still be human driven, because that human ingenuity is what matters.” We saw this philosophy on display in countless vendor demos – tools designed to support, not replace, creatives.

AI is also beginning to reshape cost structures, creating smarter pipelines that reduce the time and expense tied to repetitive tasks. But implementation isn’t plug-and-play. Success requires leadership alignment, thoughtful guardrails, and a long-term vision for where human-AI collaboration can go.

Personalization at Scale Is the Next Battleground

Panel after panel reaffirmed that engagement – not churn – will drive long-term success. And to engage today’s audiences, hyper-personalized content isn’t optional, it’s expected.

We heard this loud and clear in sessions led by NBCUniversal and Nielsen, both emphasizing that localized, context-aware experiences are now a baseline requirement. Monica Williams (SVP, NBCUniversal) put it best: “AI lets us amplify the content experience and create experience at scale.”

The best platforms are moving beyond generic recommendations and leaning into dynamic personalization, powered by data that tracks mood, context, frequency, and even content diversity. This kind of deep audience understanding is what turns a viewer into a loyal user – and what differentiates top-tier services in an overcrowded field.

Workflow Modernization: Move Fast, Or Fall Behind

One of the biggest wake-up calls from NAB? Traditional media workflows are no longer viable. The combination of cloud infrastructure and AI is forcing a rethink, not just an upgrade, of how content is produced, localized, and distributed.

The localization space in particular is undergoing a major overhaul. AI-driven solutions for dubbing, translation, and creative versioning are not only more efficient – they’re becoming the industry standard. As one speaker put it, “AI-powered localization is no longer optional – it’s a market staple.”

But implementation can’t be surface-level. Speakers across the board urged companies to stop retrofitting AI into legacy systems and instead build workflows that are flexible, modular, and truly AI-native.

Vendors Must Be Strategic Partners, Not Just Providers

Another standout theme: media companies want more from their vendors. The expectation is no longer about delivering tools – it’s about delivering strategic value.

Soumya Sriraman (President of Streaming, QVC/HSN) nailed it during her session. “Figure out what your role is – are you a widget, or a value-added solution?” The implication is clear: if you want to stay relevant in this space, you need to act like a business partner, not just a tech provider.

Open-source ecosystems and interoperability are becoming increasingly important, too. Vendors who can plug into broader architectures without locking customers into proprietary systems will have a significant edge.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Attention Is the New Currency

One of the more refreshing takeaways from NAB 2025 was the nuanced conversation around audience data. Beyond simple metrics like watch time or churn, companies are now focused on deeper behavioral insights. How users discover content, when they watch, how frequently, and what emotional tones they respond to.

“Attention for us is not just a metric, it’s a currency,” said Williams. And she’s right. In a world where platforms compete for every spare minute of a viewer’s day, understanding (and retaining) that attention is the foundation of business success.

Human Curiosity Still Wins

Perhaps the most human insight from the week came from François LeGrand of CBC. “The real asset is the curiosity that exists within a company.” Despite all the buzz around automation, one theme shone through. Technology only matters when paired with teams that ask smart questions, experiment boldly, and adapt quickly.

The companies best positioned to lead in this next era aren’t necessarily the biggest or most well-funded. They’re the most nimble, the most collaborative, and the most willing to rethink everything – tech stacks, workflows, and even company culture.

Final Thought

Walking out of NAB this year, there’s no question that streaming is undergoing a seismic shift. The companies that thrive won’t be those that wait for the perfect moment – they’ll be the ones that act now, with intention.

That means rethinking workflows, rebuilding vendor relationships, and putting AI to work in ways that amplify human creativity, not replace it. It also means building experiences that are smarter, more personalized, and deeply aligned with how audiences actually engage with content.

The next 12 months are critical. The tools are here. The strategies are clear. Now it’s about execution. And the leaders who move with clarity and conviction will define what comes next.

Want to learn how you can leverage global creative talent and AI more effectively? Get in touch.