IAB Repositions Podcast Upfront Within New Creator-Focused Week In 2026.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau is remaking its 2026 events calendar, and the result is podcasters will find their annual upfront sitting in a week focused on creators next autumn. The move means podcasting, which had been earlier aligned with the digital video-focused IAB NewFronts in recent years, will instead by part of a week that is focused on audio, gaming and digital creators.

The shift also reflects the realities of how advertisers and creators plan. The IAB NewFronts will take place March 23-26, 2026. It is timed to more closely align with the annual television upfronts, which typically are held in May.

“The decision to move IAB NewFronts earlier is a direct response to market feedback and evolution,” said David Cohen, CEO of the IAB. “IAB NewFronts moving to March gives buyers a first-mover advantage in accessing premium inventory across streaming and digital platforms.”

The announcement means that the IAB Podcast Upfront, the annual showcase of what’s new from producers to the advertising community, still stick to the fall schedule where it returned this year, after being an add-on to the IAB NewFronts from 2021 to 2024. That will remain the case in the coming year. 

“The combination of upfronts operating on both a broadcast and calendar cycle, coupled with the always-on nature of digital investments, meant that we needed to develop marketplaces in both the spring and the fall,” Cohen explains.

As part of that shift, IAB is also introducing IAB CreatorFronts. It is a new marketplace event dedicated to the creator economy. Set for Sept. 15, 2026, the IAB CreatorFronts will anchor the fall week. It will be followed on Sept. 16, with the IAB Podcast Upfronts. And then the gaming and immersive media-focused IAB PlayFronts on Sept. 17.

“Bringing IAB PlayFronts, IAB Podcast Upfront, and IAB CreatorFronts together into one cohesive marketplace is about giving buyers what they’ve asked for — an easier, more efficient way to plan across the ecosystems that are redefining brand strategy,” says IAB Chief Marketing Officer Carryl Pierre-Drews. “These aren’t niche channels anymore; creator-led, podcast, and gaming environments are where culture lives and attention flows. Grouping them in one moment not only simplifies the process for buyers but amplifies their collective influence.”

As in the past, IAB Podcast Upfront will remain an invite-only event designed to bring together brand marketers, agency professionals and podcast companies. Podcast networks use the event to showcase new shows, emerging talent, and exclusive advertising opportunities.