Disney Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX)
DRAX gives advertisers programmatic access to Disney's premium streaming inventory with first-party data targeting, while giving Disney full auction control and yield optimization across direct-sold and programmatic demand simultaneously.
Last updated May 11, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment · Connections updated May 11, 2026
- Industry
- Connected TV / Streaming Ad Technology (SSP / Ad Exchange)
- Business Model
- Marketplace
- Target Market
- Enterprise
- Employee Count
- 51-200
- Stock Symbol
- DIS
- Parent Company
- Disney Advertising
- API Available
- Limited
Disney's proprietary in-house SSP and ad exchange, positioned as a premium CTV inventory monetization platform competing with third-party SSPs and walled garden ecosystems
Disney Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX) is Disney Advertising's in-house supply-side platform and auction engine, launched in March 2021 following its announcement at Disney's inaugural Tech Showcase on February 23, 2021. Built to give Disney full control over its premium streaming inventory monetization, DRAX hosts internal auctions that allow direct-sold and programmatic demand to compete simultaneously across all of Disney's programmatic endpoints — including Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, and ABC — eliminating the fragmentation that previously existed across Disney's vast media portfolio. DRAX has demonstrated significant commercial impact, driving a reported 70% increase in Disney's biddable transactions and powering more than 8,000 video ad campaigns. Magnite serves as Disney's primary sell-side technology partner, aggregating demand from approximately 30 DSPs into the exchange. The platform leverages Disney's first-party audience data and identity infrastructure to enable precise, privacy-compliant targeting at scale across one of the largest premium streaming footprints in the United States. In March 2024, Disney expanded DRAX with the launch of DRAX Direct, a direct-pipe integration offering that connects Disney's inventory directly to The Trade Desk (TTD) and Google DV360, bypassing traditional intermediary layers and unifying Hulu and Disney+ inventory into a single, streamlined buying experience. This positions DRAX as a central pillar of Disney's broader strategy to compete with walled gardens by offering advertisers transparent, data-rich access to premium CTV and streaming inventory with the efficiency of programmatic automation.
DRAX Core (Ad Exchange)
The foundational real-time auction engine that hosts unified internal auctions across Disney's programmatic endpoints, enabling direct-sold and programmatic demand to compete simultaneously for Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, and ABC inventory.
DRAX Direct
Launched March 2024, DRAX Direct provides direct-pipe integrations with The Trade Desk and Google DV360, allowing DSPs to access unified Hulu and Disney+ inventory without traditional SSP intermediary layers.
Disney Audience Graph Integration
First-party audience data and identity layer built on Disney's deterministic subscriber data, enabling precise targeting and measurement across streaming inventory within the DRAX ecosystem.
Clean Room Connectivity
Data collaboration capabilities allowing advertisers to match their first-party data against Disney's audience graph in a privacy-compliant environment to inform DRAX campaign targeting.
- 2021Founded