At CES 2026, Disney revealed its secret. Fresh advertising solution suiteis all built to help marketers move faster, learn more, and create smarter. From creative automation to vertical video, this showcase was designed to prove that Disney is no longer just selling advertising inventory. It sells an integrated performance engine.
This article describes key features announced at Disney’s 6th Annual Global Tech & Data Showcase, including new AI-powered planning tools, connected measurement dashboards, and the upcoming move to short-form videos on Disney+.
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What Disney announced at CES 2026
At the heart of Disney’s latest expansion is a focus on accountability, automation, and content personalization. Executives from the company’s product, data, and advertising teams outlined four core innovations for 2026.
- creative automation tools Generate high-quality connected TV (CTV) ads from existing brand assets
- AI-powered planning assistant Simplify campaign setup
- disney compassa single dashboard that unifies planning, reporting, and AI-powered campaign insights.
- vertical video feed Coming to Disney+ in the US, following ESPN’s ‘Verts’ rollout
These updates are designed to help brands extract more value from Disney’s global footprint across streaming and live sports, including ESPN, Hulu and Disney+, while adapting to a media environment where speed, personalization and cross-platform impact are key.
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Not just scale, but smarter versioning
Disney is testing a new video generation tool that uses the brand’s existing guidelines and creative assets to build campaign-ready ads. This tool does more than just create more versions. Optimize them based on performance signals, audience segments, and contextual cues within the Disney ecosystem.
Importantly, Disney emphasized that human oversight remains an important part of the process. Marketers can expect tools that support their creative strategies, not replace them.
Known and Instinct Pet Food were among the early partners to experiment with the tool and develop proof-of-concept ads. For marketers, this could be a game-changer for CTV and digital campaigns that require tighter targeting without inflating production costs.
AI-powered planning speeds campaign adjustments
Disney also introduced an in-house AI-powered planning assistant that streamlines the campaign setup process. Instead of manually incorporating goals, timelines, and targeting specifications, marketers enter a high-level strategy and the tool does the rest.
Moving from setup to strategy enables faster response and more collaboration, allowing agencies and in-house teams to focus on coordination rather than management.
Jamie Power, Senior Vice President of Addressable Sales, put it bluntly: “We’re now planning for an experience level. We have the same goals, new tools, and endless possibilities.”
Bridging brand building and performance
Originally launched in 2025, Disney Compass has evolved into a full-stack advertising intelligence platform. We unify planning, measurement, and data collaboration in one dashboard to support campaigns across the US and Latin America, with EMEA next on our roadmap.
New in 2026: Disney Compass Brand Portal. This allows advertisers to see how their campaigns and the platform as a whole are performing, including AI-generated summaries, category benchmarks, and insight recommendations.
Perhaps most importantly, Compass will soon integrate new content from Disney. brand impact metrics — A tool that shows how exposure impacts everything from attention and search behavior to long-term brand health. This move toward multi-signal measurement could ultimately help advertisers close the loop between brand building and performance results.
Pursue engagement with short form format
To increase daily engagement, Disney+ will introduce vertical video feed in 2026. The move builds on the successful launch of “Verts” on the ESPN app and mirrors a strategy already seen on TikTok. instagram reeland Netflix.
The vertical format supports a variety of content, including short-form originals, social clips, and recut scenes from long-form shows. Erin Teague, vice president of product management, emphasized that the experience will be natively integrated rather than bolt-on.
“What is this? generation z Teague pointed out that today’s viewers aren’t necessarily looking for two-hour viewing sessions, but are looking for quick, easy-to-eat content that’s geared toward mobile behavior.
Netflix has taken the lead with this format, but Disney’s rich content library and multi-platform reach could give it an advantage, especially if vertical video becomes a new gateway to the broader ecosystem.
What marketers need to know
These updates are more than just cosmetic. These represent strategic changes that marketers need to closely monitor.
1. Vertical video is the new battleground
With Disney+ joining the vertical feed trend, shortform is no longer just for social. CTV and streaming platforms are now capturing attention in seconds, not sessions.
2. Creative versioning is now even smarter
Disney’s ad creation tools provide performance-based personalization without increasing production overhead. This is a key advantage for brands juggling multiple audience segments.
3. Measurement goes beyond impressions
With new brand impact metrics and expanded Compass platform, Disney is betting on deeper attribution and cross-signal learning. Marketers need to prepare for richer performance conversations.
4. Strategy is the new speed advantage
AI tools are reducing the time from preparation to launch. Brand teams need to shift their focus from setup to strategic alignment. Planning is becoming predictive rather than reactive.
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