The creator economy ad market will hit $37B this year, growing at four times the rate of the overall media industry, according to a new report on the sector.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau ( IAB )’s 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report forecast the massive growth in the sector in the U.S. this year, up 26% year-over-year.

The figures point to marketers and advertisers increasingly treat contenting creators as distinct channels, rather than elements of social media campaigns, the IAB report claimed.

Spend included in IAB’s report includes direct partnerships and their paid amplification, along with ‘content adjacencies,’ defined as brands investing “intentionally run ads adjacent to creators with whom they do not have a direct partnership.”

For context on the 2025 fig

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