{"id":23395,"date":"2026-08-20T12:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/iab-brings-creatorfronts-podcast-upfront-and-playfronts-together-for-the-first-time\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:32:16","slug":"iab-brings-creatorfronts-podcast-upfront-and-playfronts-together-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/iab-brings-creatorfronts-podcast-upfront-and-playfronts-together-for-the-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"IAB Brings CreatorFronts, Podcast Upfront, and PlayFronts Together for the First Time"},"content":{"rendered":"


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New York \u2013 August 20, 2026<\/strong> \u2013 Today, IAB<\/strong><\/span> announced its September marketplace series, uniting the inaugural IAB CreatorFronts<\/strong><\/span>, with IAB Podcast Upfront<\/strong><\/span> and IAB PlayFronts<\/strong><\/span> into one of the most exciting and important weeks of the year.<\/p>\n

Creator influence, community, and fandom are now the common thread driving growth across Podcasting, Gaming, and Creator Marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. \u201cConsumers 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The marketplace series is the vital forum where buyers and sellers come to understand where investment, innovation, and audience attention are \u2014 both right now, and where they\u2019re headed in the future.<\/p>\n

As the lines between social, audio, gaming, commerce, and entertainment continue to blur, the throughline is community, fandom, and creator influence.<\/p>\n

Tuesday, September 15: 2026 IAB CreatorFronts<\/h3>\n

IAB\u2019s The As-Is Measurement Landscape in the Creator Economy<\/strong><\/span> revealed that U.S. creator ad spend is projected to reach $44 billion in 2026, growing 4x faster than the media industry\u2019s overall growth. In just three years, creator advertising has more than doubled\u2014from $13.9B in 2021 to $29.5B in 2024\u2014as brands increasingly treat creators not just as social media partners but as a full-fledged channel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe creator economy is reshaping how culture is built, how communities form and how brands connect with consumers,\u201d said Cintia Gabilan, Senior Vice President, Centers of Excellence and Industry Initiatives. \u201cCreators 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s IAB CreatorFronts<\/strong><\/span>, as part of the IAB Global Creator Week<\/strong><\/span>, will be held on September 15 at Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York.<\/p>\n

In addition to IAB CreatorFronts in the U.S., seventeen IAB markets around the World<\/strong><\/span> will also host Creator programming, showcasing the true global nature of this critical category.<\/p>\n

Wednesday, September 16: 2026 IAB Podcast Upfront<\/h3>\n

Podcasting uniquely unlocks new opportunities for brands to engage communities, drive outcomes, and participate in culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences want connection, authenticity and trust, and there\u2019s still nothing that delivers on that better than podcasts,\u201d said Jason Adamski, Director, Media Center, IAB. \u201cIt\u2019s a uniquely intimate medium.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019ll discover how video podcasts, creator partnerships, AI, and new measurement capabilities are reshaping the audio landscape. And they\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s IAB Podcast Upfront<\/strong><\/span> will be held on September 16 at Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York.<\/p>\n

Thursday, September 17: 2026 IAB PlayFronts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Gaming is a very serious business. Nearly everyone plays: 84% of U.S. internet users aged 16\u201364 identify as gamers<\/strong><\/span>, and among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, that number jumps to 90\u201395%.<\/p>\n

\u201cGaming has already proven it can deliver scale, attention and fandom,\u201d said Gabilan. \u201cThe next chapter is about proving what that attention can do for a brand. We\u2019re seeing gaming move consumers from watching to participating, buying and advocating, with increasingly measurable signals along the way. At PlayFronts, we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

IAB PlayFronts brings together the platforms, publishers, creators, and technology partners shaping the future of gaming media and advertising. This year\u2019s IAB PlayFronts<\/strong><\/span> will be held on September 17 at Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York.<\/p>\n\n

Agendas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2026 IAB CreatorFronts Agenda*
<\/strong>In-Person + Virtual<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tuesday, September 15th<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8:00 AM \u2013 9:00 AM <\/strong>
Registration & Networking Breakfast<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9:00 AM \u2013 9:20 AM <\/strong>
Welcome Remarks & Opening Keynote<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9:20 AM \u2013 9:40 AM<\/strong>
Presentation by YouTube
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9:40 AM \u2013 10:00 AM<\/strong>
Presentation by Agentio
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10:05 AM \u2013 10:25 AM<\/strong>
The New Primetime: How Creators Became Appointment Viewing Presented by Culture Genesis
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10:25 AM \u2013 11:00 AM<\/strong>
Networking Break<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:05 AM \u2013 11:25 AM<\/strong>
Front Row to the Feed: How Creators Catalyze Commerce <\/em>Presented by Meta<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:25 AM \u2013 11:35 AM<\/strong>
Presentation by Substack
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:35 AM \u2013 11:55 AM<\/strong>
Presentation by Spotter
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12:00 PM \u2013 12:10 PM<\/strong>
TV is the New Creator Platform Presented by Universal Ads
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12:10 PM \u2013 12:30 PM <\/strong>
Presentation by Dentsu
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12:35 PM \u2013 12:40 PM<\/strong>
Beyond the Vanity Metrics: The New Era of Accountable Influencer Marketing Presented Precisify
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12:40 PM \u2013 1:35 PM<\/strong>
Networking Lunch Sponsored by Precisify
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:55 PM \u2013 2:15 PM<\/strong>
The Attention Amplifier: Driving Impact Through Cross-Platform Influence <\/em>Presented by Acast<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:20 PM \u2013 2:30 PM<\/strong>
From Anime to Global Fandom: How Creators Are Building the Next Cultural Phenomenon Presented by CyberAgent<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:30 PM \u2013 2:50 PM<\/strong>
Presentation by Twitch<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:55 PM \u2013 3:10 PM<\/strong>
The Legal Side of the Creator Economy: What Brands, Platforms & Creators Need to Know Presented by Lowenstein Sandler LLP<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:10 PM \u2013 3:45 PM<\/strong>
Networking Break<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:45 PM \u2013 3:55 PM
<\/strong>Presentation by The Washington Post<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:00 PM \u2013 4:20 PM<\/strong>
Presentation by Fox Corporation<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:20 PM \u2013 4:40 PM
<\/strong>Presentation by TikTok<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:45 PM \u2013 4:55 PM
<\/strong>Presentation by Agentio<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:00 PM \u2013 6:00 PM<\/strong>
Networking Reception Sponsored by YouTube
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change. For an up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: https:\/\/www.iab.com\/events\/creatorfronts-2026\/#agenda\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2026 IAB Podcast Upfront Agenda*
<\/strong>In-Person + Virtual<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wednesday, September 16th<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9:30 AM \u2013 10:30 AM <\/strong>
Registration & Networking Breakfast<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10:30 AM \u2013 10:50 AM<\/strong>
Welcome Remarks & Opening Keynote<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10:50 AM \u2013 11:00 AM<\/strong>
Presentation by NPR<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:00 AM \u2013 11:20 AM<\/strong>
Panel by Amazon Ads
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:25 AM \u2013 11:40 AM
<\/strong>Presentation by Podscribe
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:40 AM \u2013 11:50 AM
<\/strong>The Home Team Advantage Presented by Locked On Podcast Network<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:55 AM \u2013 12:55 PM
<\/strong>Networking Lunch
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12:55 PM \u2013 1:15 PM
<\/strong>From Fantasy to Fandom: Building a Must-Listen Sports Podcast with Matthew Berry Presented by Audacy
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:15 PM \u2013 1:25 PM<\/strong>
Presentation by WNYC
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:30 PM \u2013 1:40 PM
<\/strong>Seen and Heard: New Research on What Audio Advertising Delivers When Sound Has the Full Screen Presented by Consumable
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:40 PM \u2013 2:00 PM<\/strong>
The Multiple Screen Dilemma: Your Podcast Is Now a Video with Speakers from YouTube, Spotify, Jomboy Media
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:05 PM \u2013 2:15 PM<\/strong>
Presentation by Airwave Media
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:15 PM \u2013 2:50 PM<\/strong>
<\/strong>Networking Break
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:50 PM \u2013 3:00 PM
<\/strong>Presentation by Blue Wire Podcast<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:25 PM \u2013 3:35 PM<\/strong>
Riches in the Niches: Building the Largest Business Media Network <\/em>Presented by C-SUITE NETWORK<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:40 PM \u2013 4:00 PM
<\/strong>Presentation by Red Seat Ventures<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:00 PM \u2013 4:10 PM
<\/strong>Presentation by Sounds Profitable<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:15 PM \u2013 5:15 PM<\/strong>
Networking Reception Sponsored by Consumable<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2026 IAB PlayFronts Agenda*
<\/strong>In-Person + Virtual<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thursday, September 17th<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9:30 AM \u2013 10:30 AM <\/strong>
Registration & Networking Breakfast<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10:30 AM \u2013 10:50 AM<\/strong>
Welcome Remarks & Opening Keynote<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10:50 AM \u2013 11:10 AM
<\/strong>Playing Attention: How Brands Engage Audiences Through Mobile Games <\/em>Presented by Admazing<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:10 AM \u2013 11:30 AM<\/strong>
The Oracle of In-Game Media Buying: A Prompt-to-Plan Audience & Behavioral Signal Toolkit for the Performance Era Presented by Overwolf
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:35 AM \u2013 11:45 AM
<\/strong>Creators-as-Media: Making Live Streams Buyable at Scale Presented by LIVAD<\/em>
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:45 AM \u2013 11:50 AM
<\/strong>5 Minutes to Reach Millions of Gamers: The Playbook for Scalable, Safe Gaming ROI Presented by Precisify<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11:50 AM \u2013 12:50 PM
<\/strong>Networking Lunch Sponsored by Precisify<\/em>
<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12:55 PM \u2013 1:15 PM<\/strong>
Architects of Attention: Scaling Built-for-Platform Creative in Gaming Presented by Zynga Ads
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:15 PM \u2013 1:45 PM
<\/strong>The Gaming Advertising Advantage: In-Game and Beyond with Speakers from Super League and Gameloft for brands
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1:45 PM \u2013 1:55 PM
<\/strong>The Next Level of Audience Experiences Presented by IGN Entertainment & Firsthand
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:00 PM \u2013 2:35 PM
<\/strong>Networking Break
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:35 PM \u2013 2:55 PM
<\/strong>The Entertainment Shift: Why Gaming Is Leading the Way Presented by Xbox<\/em>
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:00 PM \u2013 3:30 PM<\/strong>
Gaming is the New Premium Video: Culturally Relevant and Driving Outcomes with Speakers from Roblox and GEEIQ
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:35 PM \u2013 4:35 PM
<\/strong>Networking Reception Sponsored by Kidoz
<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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

About IAB<\/strong>
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.<\/p>\n

About IAB Global Creator Week<\/strong>
IAB Global Network<\/strong><\/span> is uniting to launch the inaugural IAB Global Creator Week<\/strong><\/span>, 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<\/strong><\/span> 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.<\/p>\n

IAB Media Contacts
Kate Tumino Dougherty
551-265-2825
[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n


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New York \u2013 August 20, 2026 \u2013 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[122],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scannn.com\/lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}