The short version

Geoffrey Goldberg predicted on January 13, 2026: “Interest is expected to grow in 2026, with creator ad spend in the U.S. forecast to climb 18% year over year, per the IAB. Brands will likely direct much of their budgets to smaller creators this year.” Verdict: Still evolving. The prediction is for '2026' and 'this year' (2026). As of May 2026,…

Prediction by

Geoffrey Goldberg

On January 13, 2026

“Interest is expected to grow in 2026, with creator ad spend in the U.S. forecast to climb 18% year over year, per the IAB. Brands will likely direct much of their budgets to smaller creators this year.”

Follow-up

The prediction is for '2026' and 'this year' (2026). As of May 2026, we are still within the predicted year, so the outcome is evolving. The article itself mentions that 'this year' (2026), brands will direct budgets to smaller creators, meaning this trend would be observable throughout the year.

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