The Walt Disney Company took a major step forward in streaming monetisation by launching new advertising technology that allows advertisers to bid in real-time for live ad space on its platforms. With the rise of live sports, breaking news, and real-time entertainment on streaming services, Disney is tapping into this trend by expanding its ad technology across Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, and ABC News. These upgrades are designed to help advertisers reach large, engaged audiences with more ease and precision.
Advertisers can now programmatically bid on live ad inventory meaning they can automatically buy ad space during live events across Disney’s platforms. This is made possible through Disney’s proprietary ad server and its partnership with Google’s Display & Video 360 (DV360), a tool that many media buyers use to purchase ad space.
Amy Lehman, Senior Vice President of Ad Platforms at Disney, said, “This is a significant advancement in our ad technology. Disney is not only making valuable live ad inventory available to advertisers but also enabling automated workflows to simplify access for buyers.”
What does this mean for advertisers? Instead of relying on manual deals or long lead times, advertisers can now instantly access Disney’s live ad inventory, saving time and increasing flexibility, especially during big live events like sports games or news broadcasts.
Disney has made it easier for ad buyers to use their favourite tools to access these live opportunities. Platforms like The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP, and Magnite are now certified to buy live ad space programmatically.
Jamie Power, Senior Vice President of Addressable Sales at Disney, said, “Our goal hasn’t changed — and that’s to make it as easy and flexible for our clients to buy Disney, across all platforms and marketplaces. By expanding our support for a range of deal types and expanding biddable capabilities across live sports, streaming, and entertainment, we’re laying the foundation for powering biddable automation and outcomes at scale.”
This certification follows Disney’s rollout of its LIVE Sports & Entertainment Certification, which signals to buyers that these platforms are ready to handle sudden spikes in viewership during major live events. Disney is also working closely with Google’s DV360 to support a feature called Instant Deals. This means advertisers can quickly create and activate deals through Disney’s Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX).
Before this update, DRAX was already integrated with DV360 via DRAX Direct. Now, with Instant Deals, advertisers can act even faster selecting the type of content, applying their audience targeting, and launching campaigns within minutes.
Another exciting update is the rollout of Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) for live events on Disney+. DAI is a technology that lets Disney show different ads to different viewers watching the same livestream, based on factors like location or interest. This tech has already been used on Hulu, but now it’s coming to Disney+ as well helping advertisers reach specific audiences and making the ad experience feel more personal and less disruptive.
Amy Lehman, Senior Vice President of Ad Platforms at Disney, said, “Disney has a leadership position in live streaming thanks to extensive technological expertise, decades of operational experience, and sophisticated global infrastructure. Combining that with our leadership in ad technology by building a suite of products that enable personalization and interoperability allows us to meet the demands of the market to drive greater impact.”
These advancements show Disney’s commitment to staying ahead in the fast-changing world of streaming. With more people tuning in to live sports and events on connected devices, advertisers want smarter ways to reach those viewers and Disney is delivering just that. By improving how ads are bought and delivered during live streams, Disney is helping brands reach viewers at the right time with the right message, while also improving the user experience.
As Jamie Power puts it: “By expanding our support for a range of deal types and expanding biddable capabilities… we’re laying the foundation for powering biddable automation and outcomes at scale.”
With these upgrades, Disney is making a strong play for the future of streaming ads one where automation, personalization, and performance go hand in hand.