The 2026 Creator Economy: Predictions From Flightpath and Industry Leaders
As we close out another year of change across the creator and audio ecosystem, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: we’re entering a new era, one led by creators, by audience-first media models, and by technology that’s reshaping how stories are made and shared.
At Flightpath, we’re fortunate to work alongside thousands of creators and publishers navigating this transformation in real time. We see what’s working, what’s no longer serving creators, and where the biggest opportunities for growth are emerging. And as we look toward 2026, I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of creator-led media.
We asked some of our partners and leaders in the industry to share their predictions with us for the coming year. Here’s what they had to say!
Ben Watson, Founder, Impressions.fm
“As brands continue to prove out the impact of creator-led messaging, performance spending will make a big shift from scripted host reads to custom, creator-driven integrations.”
Nadine Robinson, Co-Founder & Operations Director, Podcast Nation
“I think 2026 will be the year when brands fully dive into omni-channel campaigns in a big way, with creator-lead podcasts as a central pillar to this. Brands will approach podcast advertising with an increasingly bespoke and creative approach in order to maximize their messaging across a creator’s community. And with creators building stronger communities than ever, I think we will also see live events make a real comeback.”
Libby Absten, Director of Strategic Growth & Partnerships, Podcast Nation
“In 2026, I think we’ll start to see audiences craving more from their podcasts beyond the RSS feed–with a real return to live events, tours, and other in-person activations. I’d love to see this energy translate across digital as well, with brands leaning into partnerships that engage with creators where their audiences already are–across social media, streaming platforms, or other emerging channels–and networks coming together in defining how we can fully mobilize the creators within our industry to make this happen.”
Jeff Umbro, CEO & Founder, The Podglomerate
“I’m feeling great about 2026. There are a lot of trends I’m paying close attention to – some new and some that we’ve been discussing for years – like the proliferation of video podcasts, consolidation, the rise of true programmatic ad delivery across the industry, the future of narrative vs episodic podcasts, and how the community will respond (or not) to the idea of a verified listener vs a download. As scary as it is to know that there’s likely some massive industry-shaking development just around the corner, it also keeps me on my toes in a way that I don’t think I’d experience in another role. Say what you will about podcasting, but it’s always exciting.”
Christina Mills, Director of Sales, Impact Theory
“I’m seeing a lot of deals beyond a host-read ad - partners are searching for integrated, 360 campaigns over several channels. And although there were disruptions earlier this year from economic pressures, we have found most brands return with greater spend in Q4 and 2026.”
John Goforth, VP/GM Gamut Podcast Network
“Podcasting’s next chapter isn’t bigger, it’s closer. Radio is still a $12–14B local-first business, while podcasting sits closer to $4–8B because it’s largely sold nationally. In 2026, real growth comes from investing in local voices and giving advertisers the same DMA-level confidence they’ve had in radio for decades.”
Ilwira Marciszek, EVP, Revenue Operations, AdLarge & the fwd. network
“Driven by rapidly shifting consumption patterns across video, social, and audio, individual platforms will become less important, creating immense pressure to prove ad performance and impact regardless of the app. AI will be leveraged strategically across business processes, but the industry will draw a hard line creatively—refusing to let ‘AI slop’ dilute the authentic audience engagement that built podcasting in the first place.”
Cathy Csukas, CEO & Founder, AdLarge & the fwd. network
“Podcasting in 2026 will be defined by an omnichannel strategy where creators, brands, and platforms work together to reach audiences everywhere they are. Podcasters will grow beyond the medium itself, building brand ecosystems that open new partnership models and stronger revenue opportunities. With innovation shaping every corner of the industry, room for growth has never been greater.”
Russ More, COO, Fable & Folly Network
“In 2026, the ‘nano-podcaster’ model becomes viable. Shows with 500-2,000 loyal listeners can sustain themselves through diversified revenue streams including programmatic ads, direct listener support, exclusive content, and live events rather than relying solely on advertising. Success requires treating audio fiction as a full media ecosystem with strategic video for promotion while maintaining audio-first storytelling, backed by networks that provide real analytics, ad tech infrastructure, and monetization tools that translate completion rates into premium inventory positioning.”
And finally….My predictions
These are exciting times to be a content creator, but not without their issues. The volume, dynamics, and algorithms on a platform like YouTube have changed drastically from the early days. The approach that a big YouTuber used to build their presence and success will likely not work the same way today, which can leave newer creators feeling a little bereft, lacking a clear roadmap to follow. Not to mention having to be on multiple platforms that are constantly changing the rules.
Being a creator is not easy, but I believe the future is with emerging independent creators. Traditional media and entertainment can no longer deny it is experiencing pervasive and significant market disruption. I was shocked to learn that some executives are now chasing their own tails, drawing wrong conclusions from audience behaviour, such as advising show creators to dumb down their writing so that younger audiences on their phones can still follow the show. Whereas the creators born from online channels are instead fighting to create the shows and platforms that resonate with these audiences.
So I’m excited for the future of independent, creator-based media publishers. I believe 2026 will show even more acquisition and consolidation of emerging shows and companies by traditional media channels, because the alternative is subscriber bleed and revenue loss.
When we look back to 2024 and 2025, there was a frenzy of investments in media and entertainment to deploy streaming TV platforms. Netflix leads with 302 million subscribers and Disney+ (combined with Hulu and ESPN+) is in second place at 183 million. YouTube, meanwhile, has over 2.5 billion active monthly subscribers. And while one could argue about paid vs free, it is clear where the world’s engagement and time is being spent.
I’ll end with talking about AI as 2026 will see a significant increase in the role of AI in podcasts and creator-based content, from AI-generated celebrities to workflow automation. Large language models are already having an impact on how shows are written, researched, edited, and promoted. This will grow significantly with individual creators able to match the production values of fully staffed TV shows. There will also be a lot more “slop” – content fully created by an AI and built to enable monetization across a near-endless volume of low-value content. I don’t look forward to the slop, but I’m excited to see what creators are now able to do and how they will dazzle new audiences in the months to come.
If 2024 and 2025 were about massive shifts in consumption, monetization, and technology, 2026 will be about integration - of platforms, formats, revenue streams, and creative disciplines. It will be a year defined by independent creators, stronger communities, new business models, and a media ecosystem where innovation is constant.
At Flightpath, we’re excited to help creators navigate this next chapter with the tools, insights, and support they need to thrive.
Here’s to a transformative 2026!
Sean