NEW YORK CITY, New York — The 2026 Podcast Upfront from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) takes place Wednesday, September 16, bringing publishers, platforms, creators, advertisers and technology companies together at Convene 360 Madison Avenue.
The program is expected to focus on new shows and partnerships, video podcasting, creator relationships, artificial intelligence (AI) and developing measurement tools.
For independent publishers, the useful questions go beyond celebrity announcements. Advertisers need to explain which audience measurements they accept, how video and audio impressions are compared, what minimum scale a publisher needs to enter national campaigns and whether smaller networks can access the same attribution tools as major platforms.
Radio News Now will monitor the event for announcements affecting podcast revenue, brand safety, cross-platform measurement and opportunities for independent producers.
Sources: 2026 IAB Podcast Upfront and the Interactive Advertising Bureau event announcement.