The Upfronts are a media spectacle, a whirlwind of promises and projections where networks lay out their visions for the coming year. This year, Warner Bros. Discovery brought more than just glossy presentations and star-studded events. They arrived with a challenge: a bold new approach to advertising that promises to reshape the future of media consumption. Introducing NEO Ad Platform and DemoDirect, two innovative tools designed to redefine the advertising landscape and capture the attention of a fragmented audience. How will these platforms change the game? And will they be enough to solidify Warner Bros. Discovery’s position in the ever-evolving media world?
Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Ad Platform and Upfronts Presentation
Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Ad Sales has recently debuted its NEO ad platform and DemoDirect at the 2025 upfronts. This move is expected to revolutionize the way advertisers interact with the company’s premium video inventory.
NEO Ad Platform and DemoDirect
Features and Capabilities
The NEO ad platform is designed to provide direct access to its entire premium video inventory across streaming, linear, FAST, and syndication. This means that advertisers will have the ability to match their messages with Warner Bros. Discovery’s best-in-class content that drives cultural moments and consumer engagement.
The platform also provides customizable campaign options, including budgets, pacing, and optimization goals. Additionally, it offers real-time video omnichannel reporting capabilities, measurement, and stronger ROI capabilities.
Partnerships and Development
The NEO ad platform was developed in partnership with FreeWheel and Magnite, two industry-leading technology companies. This partnership is expected to streamline the ad buying process and provide greater control and transparency for brands across Warner Bros. Discovery’s premium portfolio.
Benefits for Advertisers
The NEO ad platform provides several benefits for advertisers. These include greater control and direct access to Warner Bros. Discovery’s entire supply, simplified transaction process, and capitalization on deeper reporting and advanced insights.
Advertisers will also have the ability to analyze data more clearly and buy on their own terms. This is expected to lead to more efficient and effective advertising campaigns.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfronts Presentation
Key Highlights
The Warner Bros. Discovery upfronts presentation highlighted the company’s culture-setting content and immersive storytelling that connects brands with engaged audiences.
The presentation, which was held at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, showcased a dynamic lineup of converged advertising opportunities spanning across the company’s entertainment, sports, theatrical, news, and lifestyle brands.
Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Sales co-Presidents Ryan Gould and Robert “Bobby” Voltaggio introduced the company’s innovative and agile sales approach designed to connect advertisers with engaged audiences and drive measurable results.
The presentation centered around the theme “Like No Other”, highlighting Warner Bros. Discovery’s unmatched ability to shape culture, deliver scale, and meet consumers on every screen.
Warner Bros. Discovery also unveiled the “WBD Storyverse”, a new initiative that taps into 100 years of iconic content to help brands connect with audiences through reimagined characters and IP.
By aligning with fan-favorite stories, Warner Bros. Discovery will create custom brand moments that bring fresh lenses to its most beloved properties.
Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Ad Sales Debuts NEO Ad Platform and DemoDirect at 2025 Upfronts
Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Ad Sales today unveiled NEO and DemoDirect, two new solutions, with NEO to be launched later this year, that will accelerate the effectiveness and efficiency of brands across WBD’s premium portfolio.
NEO, a new ad platform, will provide buyers direct access to WBD’s entire premium video inventory across streaming, linear, FAST, and syndication, through one simplified and intuitive user interface.
Designed to enhance transparency and impact, NEO will empower advertisers to match their messages with WBD’s best-in-class content that drives can’t miss cultural moments and unparalleled consumer engagement.
For the first time, buyers will have greater control and direct access to WBD’s entire supply across all owned and operated properties, as well as distributed endpoints in the portfolio, streamlining their transaction process and capitalization on deeper reporting and advanced insights.
"We’re excited to introduce NEO, a dynamic platform that redefines how partners can access our iconic content portfolio by ensuring the value of WBD’s supply—and the data behind it—flows directly to clients," said Jill Steinhauser, Group Senior Vice President, Platform Monetization and Partnerships, at Warner Bros. Discovery.
"With this unique tool, advertisers can maximize the full potential of their advertising spend, analyze data more clearly, and buy on their own terms to scale campaigns faster and smarter."
Key Features of NEO
- Full Control: NEO puts the brand in charge, with an intuitive platform that customizes all aspects of their campaigns, including budgets, pacing, and optimization goals in one simplified platform.
- Increased Transparency: Brands gain full visibility across every WBD screen in a comprehensive dashboard, paired with the ability to operate where and when their ads are running, and backed by rich content-level data and robust performance insights.
- Comprehensive Activation: Advertisers will gain the ability to activate their own data while leveraging WBD’s enhanced first-party audience data, enabling smarter targeting, real-time video omnichannel reporting capabilities, measurement, and stronger ROI capabilities.
WBD is partnering with FreeWheel and Magnite, two valued industry-leaders, to develop NEO, providing greater solutions and system efficiencies to meet the demands of buyers in an increasingly complex and fragmented ecosystem.
"FreeWheel has been a long-time, proud partner of Warner Bros. Discovery in their efforts to seamlessly connect advertisers with their desired audiences, including their new buying platform, NEO," said Mark McKee, Executive Vice President, General Manager at FreeWheel.
"By enabling direct access to WBD’s premium video content, FreeWheel is helping them to streamline the ad buying process across all screens. This allows WBD to increase efficiency and transparency throughout the ad buying process, while making it simple for new advertisers to participate in the TV ecosystem."
"We’re excited to continue our longstanding partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery by supporting the deployment of NEO, which is revolutionizing automated transactions across their premium video inventory," said Sean Buckley, President, Revenue at Magnite.
"At Magnite, we understand the industry’s growing need for smarter tools and greater operational efficiency. This represents yet another important step toward streamlining the ad buying process and making it more transparent for our clients and partners."
Programming and Advertising Announcements
Warner Bros. Discovery made several exciting programming and enhanced advertising announcements, including the WBD Upfront 2025/2026 Press Images.
Highlighting WBD’s commitment to innovation and agility in the sales approach, the presentation showcased a dynamic lineup of converged advertising opportunities spanning across WBD’s vast portfolio of entertainment, sports, theatrical, news, and lifestyle brands.
WBD Upfront 2025/2026 Press Images
For more information about how to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Sales, see here.
Leadership and Partnerships
Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Sales co-Presidents Ryan Gould and Robert "Bobby" Voltaggio took the stage for the first time, introducing the company’s innovative and agile sales approach designed to connect advertisers with engaged audiences and drive measurable results.
Centered around the theme, "Like No Other", the presentation highlighted Warner Bros. Discovery’s unique advantage in the marketplace –its unmatched ability to shape culture, deliver scale and meet consumers on every screen.
WBD also unveiled the "WBD Storyverse", a new initiative that taps into 100 years of iconic content to help brands connect with audiences through reimagined characters and IP.
By aligning with fan-favorite stories, WBD will create custom brand moments that bring fresh lenses to its most beloved properties.
"Everything we’re showing today reflects our evolution. WBD is a media company like no other," Gould said.
"We stand on a foundation constructed from world class IP. Stories that have built-in fanbases and cultural relevance that cuts through the noise."
"At WBD, we’ve never been more excited about the future," said Voltaggio.
"We are continuing to strengthen WBD’s rich legacy with new, groundbreaking content that shapes the culture, drives conversation, and influences consumer behavior. We will continue to take bold leaps forward and embrace new technologies to give clients and brands more power and control and to drive even greater results."
Gould and Voltaggio were joined onstage by JB Perrette, CEO and President, Global Streaming and Games; Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content; Shauna Spenley, Global Chief Marketing Officer; Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks; Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of TNT Sports; Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide; Dana Nussbaum, EVP, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures; James Gunn, Co-Chairman and CEO of DC Studios; and Peter Safran, Co-Chairman and CEO of DC Studios.
Additionally, top-tier talent from the Warner Bros. Discovery family, including Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Conan O’Brien, John Cena, Tim Meadows, Noah Wyle, Adam Lefkoe, Grant Hill, Champ Bailey, Candace Parker, Henrik Lundqvist, Sloane Stephens, Anderson Cooper, Audie Cornish, Roy Wood Jr., Michael Ian Black, Amber Ruffin, Tony Shalhoub and Shaquille O’Neal delighted attendees.
Implications and Analysis
Industry Impact
NEO and DemoDirect represent a significant shift in the ad buying process, offering greater control and transparency for brands.
May disrupt the traditional TV upfronts model, as advertisers seek more efficient and effective ways to reach their target audiences.
Competition and Market Share
WBD’s commitment to innovation and agility in the sales approach may give the company a competitive edge in the market.
The success of NEO and DemoDirect may impact WBD’s market share and revenue growth.
Future Developments
The integration of NEO and DemoDirect with other WBD platforms and services may lead to new revenue streams and business opportunities.
The company’s focus on content-driven advertising may continue to shape the industry and influence consumer behavior.
Conclusion
Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2025 Upfronts presentation signaled a bold shift in the media landscape. By unveiling NEO, a unified ad platform, and DemoDirect, a personalized ad experience, the company aims to reimagine the traditional ad sales model. NEO promises transparency and efficiency, empowering advertisers with granular control and real-time insights. Meanwhile, DemoDirect leverages data-driven personalization, delivering targeted messages that resonate with viewers on an individual level. This dual-pronged strategy signifies a commitment to meeting the evolving demands of both advertisers and consumers in the digital age. The implications of these moves reach far beyond Warner Bros. Discovery’s own portfolio. Their innovative approach sets a precedent for the entire industry, pushing the boundaries of targeted advertising and audience engagement. As the lines between linear and streaming continue to blur, platforms like NEO and DemoDirect could redefine the very nature of advertising, fostering a more dynamic and personalized media experience. The coming years will undoubtedly reveal whether this bold vision translates into tangible success, but one thing is clear: Warner Bros. Discovery has staked a claim as a leader in the evolving world of media consumption. The future of advertising, it seems, is being written in data-driven narratives, personalized experiences, and a commitment to transparency.