2025 IAB Podcast Upfront: The Industry's Definitive Podcast Marketplace Returns

IAB Brings Together Top Platforms and Buyers to Unpack the Rise of Video, Evolving Podcast Formats, and New Tools for Monetization and Measurement

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing digital channels, giving brands powerful, immersive ways to connect through both audio and video. On September 30, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) will bring together brands, agencies, and media buyers for the 2025 IAB Podcast Upfront, offering an exclusive preview of groundbreaking podcast programming, advertising innovations, and redefining audio storytelling from leading audio and podcast leaders. The event will be held in New York City at 360 Madison Avenue (etc. venues) and virtually on IAB.com.

As the leading marketplace event for podcast investment, the 2025 IAB Podcast Upfront will explore major trends shaping the industry, including the rapid growth of video podcasts, evolving audience behaviors, and the future of cross-format measurement. Participating networks and platforms will share insights into how podcasts are driving impact across the advertising funnel—and how the medium's definition continues to expand.

This year's event will be hosted by Ali Levitan, the creator and host of BOSS by Ali Levitan, a LinkedIn and podcast interview series spotlighting over 100 top executives from companies like TikTok, Verizon, Bloomberg, NBCU, and Forbes. Known for her deep industry experience and unmatched talent for connecting people, she brings both gravitas and energy to the Podcast Upfront stage.

"Podcasting is in the midst of a creative and technical transformation—where AI, video, and measurable outcomes are redefining how brands connect with audiences," said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. "As the marketplace enters a new era, IAB's Podcast Upfront remains the definitive marketplace for insight, connection, and setting the course for what's next."

This year's event will spotlight the growing focus on impact and outcomes, the advancement of podcast measurement, and how the medium is evolving as major platforms expand their content strategies. Attendees will also get a first look at new tools, creative formats, and monetization strategies that are driving results for brands. From AI-enhanced production workflows to immersive video formats, IAB Podcast Upfront will highlight the technological innovations powering the next wave of podcast engagement and advertiser value.

"Today almost 80% of podcast consumers switch back and forth between audio and video, fundamentally changing how audiences engage and how brands evaluate performance," said Matt Shapo, Director, Digital Audio and Video, IAB. "We're doubling down on impact and outcomes—equipping buyers to better measure podcast performance—while also exploring how video is reshaping the medium and prompting the question on everybody's mind: What is a podcast in 2025?"

The 2025 IAB Podcast Upfront presenters include speakers from Blue Wire, Consumable, iHeartPodcasts, Jomboy Media, Nielsen, NPM & ARM, NPR, Pod Digital Media (PDM), Podscribe, Sonoro, The Daily Wire, True Native Media, and WNYC Studios. To see the full agenda please visit https://www.iab.com/events/podcast-upfront-2025/.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and collaboration of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

SOURCE Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)