By Kimeko McCoy • June 9, 2026 •
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Over the years, the automated, data-driven ad buying process that is programmatic has crept into the human-led negotiations that make up upfront negotiations. That’s come to a head this year.
That shift is seen at Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, for example. In covering this year’s upfronts, Digiday reported that Disney sees 70% of its biddable inventory demand driven by upfront advertisers. Meanwhile, nearly half of Warner Bros. Discovery biddable demand stems from upfront advertisers.
“As much as I hate to admit it, there is cost savings for an agency or brand to not have three or four people trafficking when it can be done through a computer,” Michael Burgi, senior editor, media buying and planning, at Digiday, said on a recent episode of the Digiday Podcast.
