Ad Tech Briefing: Cannes Lions’ biggest ad tech announcements show how TV is now programmatic

TV ad buying is increasingly driven by ad tech, as shown by activity during the 2025 upfront negotiations, where programmatic, CTV, and data-fueled pitches took center stage. This theme continued last week at the media industry’s flagship conference, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, with a slew of announcements at the glitzy affair underlining this shift in the sands. 

Last week, Disney Advertising announced a new partnership with Amazon Ads, adding Amazon’s demand-side platform to its Real-Time Ad Exchange, or DRAX, nearly a year after its launch with rival DSPs. This makes Amazon only the third DSP — after Google and The Trade Desk — to access premium inventory across Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu. 

This is a member-exclusive article from Digiday. Continue reading it on digiday.com and subscribe to continue reading content like this.