Disney Sets A New Standard for Live Sports and Entertainment Advertising

January 6, 2025

Launches live advertising certification beginning with Google Display & Video 360, Magnite, The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP

January 6, 2025 – Las Vegas, NV – Disney is setting a new standard for advertising in Live with the launch of a certification for live sports and entertainment, along with the introduction of biddable deals for live sports using Disney’s Ad Server. Google Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo DSP are the first demand-side platforms to earn this first-of-its-kind distinction from Disney, with Magnite as the only third-party supply-side partner at launch.

Jamie Power, SVP of Addressable Sales, Disney Advertising emphasized the need for innovation in the rapidly growing, live-streaming space. "As live streaming viewership continues to surge, we must push boundaries and explore bold, new approaches optimized for streaming. The standards of the past no longer align with today’s marketplace," Power said. "We are committed to evolving with the rise of live viewership. Expanding biddable capabilities will allow advertisers to connect more effectively in real-time, just one of the ways we are setting a new standard for advertising.”

As live streaming viewership reaches new heights, automation provides the key to unlock the full potential of streaming inventory in near real time by tapping in to the dynamic nature of live streaming, which was previously limited.

With Disney’s live certification, advertisers have much greater flexibility to tap into lightning-in-a-bottle moments, when activating campaigns in live through industry-leading buy-side platforms.

How the certification will work in action: Picture this scenario – It’s down to the last few minutes of a game and a play takes audiences into unexpected overtime. Brands want to strategically seize the moment and show up when it counts most. Technology of the past wasn’t foundationally built to scale for a streaming-first environment, take advantage of a variety of bid opportunities, nor to enable dynamic pricing that reflects the real-time changes in supply and demand.

To be certified by Disney means:

Partner’s technology has the capacity to scale and respond to bids in a live environment – in real time

Adapt to spikes in live viewership, at increased bid density

Have the ability to pre-ingest pre-approved creative

“Planning for sports, specifically, requires a different strategy for biddable advertising,” said Matt Barnes, VP of Programmatic Sales, Disney Advertising. “While a traditional media plan may be focused on even delivery throughout the week, brands can miss out on a highly engaged audience and all those edge-of-your seat moments in a live game, if they’re limited by standard rules and frequency caps. With the introduction of Disney’s live certification, now more advertisers – across an even wider variety of categories – can capture the spikes in critical moments of engagement and fandom.”