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Disney Expands Global Ad Tech Across Streaming Platforms

AdTech

Business Honor
14 April, 2025

Disney targets global advertisers with streamlined, real-time ad buying across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.

Disney is expanding its global ad tech ambitions, bringing its advanced advertising platform to Europe and the Middle East. The move is designed to unlock new revenue streams by simplifying how advertisers buy live and programmatic ad inventory across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.

The expansion is underpinned by Disney’s global audience graph, which helps the company target viewers more precisely. “Foundationally, our audience graph that we’ve now expanded globally is really the underpinning for everything that we’re doing,” said Dana McGraw, Disney’s SVP of data and measurement science.

Disney is now letting advertisers buy live ad inventory on its streaming platforms all at once. They also get a chance to bid in real-time on live events, like sports—one of Disney's strongest content offerings. "We have the biggest type of sports portfolio, right? So it makes sense for us to want to invest in," said Jamie Power, SVP of addressable sales.

Amy Lehman, SVP advertising platforms, also highlighted the platform's automation. “Disney is not only making valuable live ad inventory available to advertisers, but also enabling automated workflows to simplify access for buyers.”

The action comes in line with Disney's Latin America strategy, whereby it provides AI-driven ad transactions through Google's technology and Magnite. Disney has approximately 157 million monthly active users of its ad-supported plans worldwide, and it is gearing up to compete directly with Netflix, which also intends to roll out ad tech internationally.

Europe's high level of interest in streaming advertisements makes it a valuable target, although draconian privacy regulations could prove to be a challenge. Nevertheless, Disney seems optimistic about being able to work around those regulations as it seeks to dominate the emerging ad-supported streaming market.