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Welcome back to Beyond the Numbers—your behind-the-scenes look at today’s leading media and tech companies.
In this episode, filmed at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Spencer Potts sits down with Matt Barnes, VP of Automated Sales at Disney, to talk about career milestones, the evolution of programmatic, and how automation and AI are shaping the future of premium video.
Barnes didn’t just adopt programmatic—he championed it before it became a buzzword. Starting with a display-focused role at ESPN, he helped transform it into a video-first business, paving the way for broader change across Disney’s portfolio.
Today, more than 50% of Disney’s addressable business is automated, and they’re aiming for 75% by 2027.
As the industry accelerates toward automation, Barnes emphasized the importance of moving beyond the boundaries of traditional media. “Premium video deserves a premium approach,” he said.
Looking ahead, AI is top of mind—especially for speeding up creative approvals and personalizing content at scale.
“Programmatic is bringing the best of all worlds together—AI will only make that smarter, faster, and more effective.”
For Barnes, the goal is parity across buying methods—where programmatic isn’t a separate channel, but the standard.
Watch the full episode below:
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