Disney announced new AI-powered ad tools, metrics, and vertical video formats at CES, aiming to simplify planning, boost measurement, and improve advertiser outcomes.
At its annual Tech and Data Showcase during CES on Wednesday, The Walt Disney Company unveiled a slate of advertising technology updates designed to make campaigns easier to plan, more measurable, and increasingly driven by artificial intelligence.
The presentation, which also marks the informal start of Disney’s upfront discussions, emphasized automation, self-service tools, and new measurement frameworks aimed at helping advertisers better understand brand impact across the company’s vast media ecosystem.
Disney’s advertising president, Rita Ferro, has previously said that AI will fundamentally reshape how television advertising is planned, measured, and optimized by 2026. The latest announcements signal a concrete step toward that vision.
Among the updates is a new AI-powered video generation tool that allows advertisers to create connected TV-ready commercials using existing brand assets and guidelines. The tool enables creative to be customized by audience, context, and placement, with performance signals informing how ads evolve over time.
Behind the scenes, Disney is also rolling out an AI-driven internal planning system intended to reduce setup time and shift more focus toward strategy. The company says the goal is to make campaigns more connected, intentional, and outcome-oriented.
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Disney also expanded its proprietary data platform with the launch of the Disney Compass Brand Portal. The new interface offers advertisers a unified view of brand performance across campaigns and platforms, including category benchmarks and AI-generated insights. At launch, the portal integrates with data partners such as Affinity Solutions, CINT, EDO, Innovid, and VideoAmp.
To further address advertiser demand for clearer measurement, Disney introduced a new Brand Impact Metric, designed to capture the broader effects of advertising. The metric combines signals such as attention, brand health, and search behavior to show how media exposure contributes to business outcomes.
“When brands can connect ad exposure to direct results, marketers gain clarity on not just what drove results—but how,” said Dana McGraw, senior vice president of data and measurement science at Disney Advertising.
Finally, Disney announced it is expanding vertical video formats. After debuting vertical video on ESPN’s streaming app last year, the company will now bring the format to Disney+ in the U.S., while exploring broader applications across content categories to create more personalized viewing experiences.
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Together, the updates reflect Disney’s broader push to modernize TV advertising—blending data, automation, and creative flexibility as marketers demand clearer returns on their media investments.
