Amid a wall-to-wall exposition of products and gadgets embedded with artificial intelligence, Walt Disney’s advertising sales force delivered its annual “Global Tech & Data Showcase” inside CES 2026 in Las Vegas. From opening video montage to closing video montage, this Upfront event and its Disney executive participants touted the ability to champion an emerging environment where thanks to AI, people not only watch TV, but they also use TV in advancing their daily lives.
The Big Message: Disney+, Hulu, and the ESPN megacontent service launched last fall -- as one unified consumer offering -- will lead the way in this new usage era, through unique interactive, immersive features. Advertisers have the opportunity to create personalized messages and campaigns under a commitment to responsible Ai practices that integrate with advanced research and data measurement technology. “It’s one centralized experience for our fans and our advertisers,” explained Rita Ferro, Disney’s Global Advertising President. “Breakthroughs in AI drive what we do. People turn possibilities into magic.”
Hosts: Various Disney senior executives, including new executive vice presidents Erin Teague (product management) and Tony Donohoe (advertising platforms), handled individual segments, with Ferro on at the beginning and end.
What Worked: Leading off the presentation with content strategy, followed by how new or updated data practices incorporating AI will benefit advertisers and consumers.
What Also Worked: Keeping the sections dealing with specific audience measurement and performance technology free of jargon, and full of well-placed graphics on the videowall behind the speakers.
What Can Work Here: Same as last year: Have an advertiser or agency representative at some point offer a quick on-stage or taped testimonial about the value of Disney’s AI applications in campaign creation. Dr. Pepper and Instinct pet food were mentioned in this showcase.
Data Points: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN’s “Unlimited” format combined offer 200 MultiView live events per day, giving viewers a choice of different camera angles to see each event through. Also, every day, going into 2026, ESPN Unlimited generates hundreds of thousands of personalized SportsCenter updates, known as SC For You.
News: Compass, Disney’s central clearinghouse for first-party data, research insights, campaign planning and vendor integrations, will introduce a “brand portal” that offers campaign/platform comparisons in summary fashion, generated with AI tools. Each summary will highlight key learnings and point out new opportunities for advertisers. A separate brand impact metric feature will allow sponsors to learn what campaign elements work or not, understand why or why not, and optimize the campaign while still underway and running on various Disney services. In the next month or so, Disney will test a new video generation process where advertisers can produce high-quality messages for smart TV set presentations, using existing brand assets and AI guardrails. Instinct is among the first advertisers to take part in this test. Separately, a module geared to MultiView presentations will get a trial run next month.
Bonus Points: Donohoe having fun with the audience off the bat in his first-ever Disney presentation. “I’m trying not to do the Bono impression,” he said, referring to his Irish background and love of the iconic rock band U2. “It would change the whole zeitgeist of this show.”
Parting Words: “Fans just don’t watch TV. They lean in and participate. They’re shopping, voting, listening and even placing bets. Fans bring the magic to life.” - Rita Ferro, President of Disney’s Global Advertising Organization.
“I’m here to turn a vision into reality. Generation Alpha is the first AI generation. Fans react and research and remix. This is not distractive viewing. This is TV viewing today. AI is an accelerator, an amplifier.” - Disney Executive Vice President of Product Management Erin Teague.
“Being a leader in this space means that performance isn’t just checking a box. It’s an always-on evaluation of success… Our potential is limitless when you go beyond industry smoke and mirrors.” - Dana McGraw, Disney Senior Vice President of Data and Measurement Science.
“These are tools and technology we’re bringing to advertisers because we believe they solve actual problems and drive actual value for you.” - Tony Donohoe, Disney Executive Vice President, Advertising Platforms.
“It’s clear we are no longer media planning. We are now experience-level planning. Same goals, new tools, limitless possibilities. You have more and more control over what your brand does on Disney. Our platform is built to flex with you.” - Disney Senior Vice President of Addressable Ad Sales Jamie Power.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney.
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