Verified Confidence: medium
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
Safe rephrasing
IAB estimates US creator economy ad spend at $37.1B in 2025 and projects $43.9B in 2026 (+18%), up from $13.9B in 2021.
What the source says
Estimated 2025-2026 $43.9 $37.1 Ad spend in the space has more than doubled since 2021, rising from $13.9B to $29.5B in 2024*. +18% +26%
IAB — Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report 2025 (Nov. 2025)
- Commonly cited as
- "Creator ad spend will hit $44 billion"
- True origin
- IAB — Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report 2025 (Nov. 2025)
- Type
- Stat check: A widely repeated statistic traced back to its origin.
- Year
- 2025
- Data as of
- Estimates published November 2025
- Last checked
- Method & sample
- IAB with Advertiser Perceptions: buyer survey (n=453) and spend estimates of brand-directed creator advertising (sponsored content, paid amplification, adjacencies).
- Drift between quote and source
- Projection
- Counts brand ad spend with creators, not total creator income
- Interest
- IAB is the digital advertising industry's trade association.