IAB Brings CreatorFronts, Podcast Upfront, and PlayFronts Together for the First Time

As the Impact of Creators Soars,
Marketers Must Rethink How They Drive Growth

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IAB announced its September marketplace series, uniting the inaugural IAB CreatorFronts, with IAB Podcast Upfront and IAB PlayFronts into one of the most exciting and important weeks of the year.

Creator influence, community, and fandom are now the common thread driving growth across Podcasting, Gaming, and Creator Marketing.

"The Creator Economy is the engine fueling the growth of the digital ecosystem. What started in social media is now driving how consumers engage with brands across audio, gaming, commerce, entertainment and more," said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. "Consumers experience that creator connection as a seamless continuum and we are excited to provide a forum across three days for the industry to experience it the same way."

The marketplace series is the vital forum where buyers and sellers come to understand where investment, innovation, and audience attention are — both right now, and where they're headed in the future.

As the lines between social, audio, gaming, commerce, and entertainment continue to blur, the throughline is community, fandom, and creator influence.

Tuesday, September 15: 2026 IAB CreatorFronts

IAB's The As-Is Measurement Landscape in the Creator Economy revealed that U.S. creator ad spend is projected to reach $44 billion in 2026, growing 4x faster than the media industry's overall growth. In just three years, creator advertising has more than doubled — from $13.9B in 2021 to $29.5B in 2024 — as brands increasingly treat creators not just as social media partners but as a full-fledged channel.

"The creator economy is reshaping how culture is built, how communities form and how brands connect with consumers," said Cintia Gabilan, Senior Vice President, Centers of Excellence and Industry Initiatives. "Creators have become powerful media businesses with direct relationships with their audiences. CreatorFronts brings the industry together to explore where this market is going and what marketers need to make creator media a scalable, measurable and essential part of the media plan."

This year's IAB CreatorFronts, as part of the IAB Global Creator Week, will be held on September 15 at Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York.

In addition to IAB CreatorFronts in the U.S., seventeen IAB markets around the World will also host Creator programming, showcasing the true global nature of this critical category.

Wednesday, September 16: 2026 IAB Podcast Upfront

Podcasting uniquely unlocks new opportunities for brands to engage communities, drive outcomes, and participate in culture.

"Audiences want connection, authenticity and trust, and there's still nothing that delivers on that better than podcasts," said Jason Adamski, Director, Media Center, IAB. "It's a uniquely intimate medium."

2026 IAB Podcast Upfront attendees will get an exclusive first look at the content, partnerships, and innovations defining the year ahead from leading podcast publishers and audio platforms. They'll discover how video podcasts, creator partnerships, AI, and new measurement capabilities are reshaping the audio landscape. And they'll hear directly from industry leaders, and learn how creator-led storytelling and platform innovation are creating new ways for brands to drive relevance, attention, and business impact.

This year's IAB Podcast Upfront will be held on September 16 at Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York.

Thursday, September 17: 2026 IAB PlayFronts

Gaming is a very serious business. Nearly everyone plays: 84% of U.S. internet users aged 16–64 identify as gamers, and among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, that number jumps to 90–95%.

"Gaming has already proven it can deliver scale, attention and fandom," said Gabilan. "The next chapter is about proving what that attention can do for a brand. We're seeing gaming move consumers from watching to participating, buying and advocating, with increasingly measurable signals along the way. At IAB PlayFronts, we're pushing the conversation forward from how many people play to what happens when brands show up, and how marketers can turn that behavior into measurable business results."

IAB PlayFronts brings together the platforms, publishers, creators, and technology partners shaping the future of gaming media and advertising. This year's IAB PlayFronts will be held on September 17 at Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York.

*All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change. For up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: https://www.iab.com/events/creatorfronts-2026/#agenda 

*All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change. For up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: https://www.iab.com/events/podcast-upfront-2026/#agenda

*All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change. For up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: https://www.iab.com/events/playfronts-2026/#agenda

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.

About IAB Global Creator Week
IAB Global Network is uniting to launch the inaugural IAB Global Creator Week, running from 14 to 18 of September, a bold step into the future of digital advertising. Across five days, 17 countries will host dynamic, creator marketing-led events that spotlight the accelerating power of the creator economy and its transformative impact on how brands connect with audiences. At the heart of it all, a central digital hub will bring the world together, curating global event listings, breakthrough insights, and forward-thinking resources from IABs everywhere. This is more than a moment; it is a movement, designed to spark collaboration, unlock new possibilities, and shape the next era of advertising together. 

SOURCE Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)