News brief
IAB raises 2026 ad outlook; podcast spending projected to grow 8.7%
The IAB raised its 2026 total U.S. advertising growth forecast to 12.3%, projecting podcast ad spending to rise 8.7% — outpacing non-podcast digital audio at 3.6% — based on a survey of more than 200 brand and agency decision-makers.
By Inside Radio · Published · Announcement date
The Interactive Advertising Bureau raised its 2026 total U.S. advertising growth forecast to 12.3%, with podcast ad spending projected to rise 8.7% versus 3.6% for non-podcast digital audio. The figures come from a survey of more than 200 brand and agency decision-makers, and they keep audio firmly in growth mode while other formats fight for share.
The gap between podcast's 8.7% and non-podcast digital audio's 3.6% is the number that matters most to creators. It suggests advertisers are not just buying “audio” — they are specifically shifting weight toward podcasts, presumably for the host trust and attentive listening that the format sells.
Forecasts are not results: these are buyers' stated intentions, and intention surveys routinely overstate follow-through. But as a directional read from the industry's own measurement body, it is an authoritative mid-year upgrade, and podcasters can cite it in media kits with the usual caveat that it describes the market, not any individual show's prospects.
Announcement date: September 10, 2026 (approximate, per coverage metadata)
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