Disney+ beefs up ad tier with more targeting, measurement features

Dive Brief:

Disney+ is adding new features to its ad-supported tier, including advanced audience targeting, additional programmatic marketplaces, expanded ad formats and enriched measurement, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
Disney is also working with a number of outside vendors and services to provide better campaign performance data, insights and verification through its platform and in other areas, including the physical world.
Since launching the ad-supported tier last December, half of new subscribers are choosing that option, according to the company. Additionally, the service has seen a 35% increase in engagement over the past six months.

Dive Insight:

A survey conducted last March found that 19% of Disney+ subscribers are using its ad-supported tier, many of them new customers to the platform. As that audience grows, the company is using the expanded features to make the tier more attractive to advertisers while also making good on a promise it made earlier this year to port over the ad-targeting and segmentation capabilities of its proprietary ad server for Hulu and make them available on its own streaming platform.

“We spent the last 10 months testing, learning and listening to our consumers and clients,” said Rita Ferro, president of Disney’s global advertising, in a statement. “We're seeing increased engagement and time spent, and now providing greater accountability for marketers through robust measurement, proving that premium content matters.”

Among the new features available are:

Enhanced audience targeting across different qualifiers including age and gender, geography (both state and designated market area) and segments from Disney’s first-party Audience Graph tool.
Expanded programmatic opportunities including biddable transactions through private marketplaces and invite-only auctions available across 30 DSPs.
Diversified ad formats from mid-rolls and 15-second spots up through 90-second spots, as well as content partnerships.
Improved measurement and attribution through verification services including DoubleVerify, Moat, IAS, Adform, DCM, Extreme Reach, Flashtalking and Sizmek. The company is also working with Cuebiq and Foursquare to measure foot traffic; Data Plus Math and iSpotTV for reach and frequency insight; Kantar to measure brand lift, and Innovid XP to demonstrate web and app conversion.

Features that improve advertisers’ ability to better target, measure and attribute will allow Disney+ to better compete for ad dollars in a crowded streaming marketplace. Netflix in May used its first upfront presentation to announce new ad options and partnerships with Nielsen and EDO around measurement, while Amazon added VideoAmp and iSpot as measurement partners during its NewFronts presentation.

Disney+ recently announced it would launch an ad-supported tier in select markets across Europe and Canada on Nov. 1. In addition, subscribers in the U.S. will have access to an ad-free bundled subscription plan featuring Disney+ Premium and ad-free Hulu programming.