seller
- What changed
- Walmart audiences and measurement on Spotify, live TV and Yahoo DSP CTV
- When
- Announced October 6, 2026
- Who it affects
- Brands buying Walmart Connect and Walmart DSP media
- What to do
- Ask your Walmart Connect team which offers fit your Q4 and Q1 plans
Key takeaways
- Walmart audiences and closed-loop measurement now reach Spotify through Walmart DSP.
- Live linear TV on TBS, TLC, truTV, HLN and Food Network is addressable with Walmart data.
- The Yahoo DSP CTV test moved to Alpha, beyond VIZIO inventory.
Hidden Valley Ranch test results reported by Walmart
What Walmart Connect announced
In a post by Khurrum Malik, VP of business and product marketing, Walmart Connect said it is expanding where advertisers can use Walmart audiences and measurement. There are three parts: Spotify through Walmart DSP, live linear TV with Warner Bros. Discovery, and a larger connected TV test with Yahoo DSP powered by Magnite. MediaPost reported the news the same day and framed it as Walmart's push for a bigger share of TV ad budgets.
Spotify: Walmart audiences in audio, video and display
US advertisers can now use Walmart DSP to reach Walmart audiences across Spotify's audio, video and display ad formats, including music streaming and podcasts. Closed-loop measurement ties those impressions back to purchases at Walmart, which is the main reason a consumer brand would buy Spotify through Walmart rather than directly.
Warner Bros. Discovery: Walmart audiences on live linear TV
For the first time, Walmart audiences can be used for addressable targeting on live linear TV. Private marketplace deals run through Walmart DSP, use FreeWheel's programmatic technology and combine Warner Bros. Discovery streaming inventory with select live channels: TBS, TLC, truTV, HLN and Food Network. Walmart says more inventory is planned, but it has not published a timeline.
Yahoo DSP: more CTV beyond VIZIO
A proof of concept with Yahoo DSP and Magnite that launched earlier in 2026 has moved into an Alpha phase. Brands can reach Walmart audiences on CTV inventory from more publishers than VIZIO, which Walmart owns, and buy it inside a DSP many agencies already use. Walmart shared early results from a Hidden Valley Ranch campaign for The Clorox Company, shown below with the measurement source Walmart listed for each number.
The three Partner Connect offers
| Spotify | Warner Bros. Discovery | Yahoo DSP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy through | Walmart DSP | Walmart DSP PMP | Yahoo DSP |
| Media | Audio, video, display | Live linear and streaming | CTV beyond VIZIO |
| Status | Available to US advertisers | Available | Alpha |
Why this matters for brands selling at Walmart
Most Walmart sellers spend on Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands first, and that should not change. What changes is the upper funnel. Until now, TV and audio budgets were hard to connect to Walmart sales. With closed-loop measurement on Spotify, live TV and more CTV, a brand can test whether awareness spend lifts Walmart sales instead of guessing. MediaPost noted that Walmart Connect's US business grew 43% in Q2 2026 excluding VIZIO, so expect Walmart to keep pushing these formats hard.
These are still managed or programmatic buys with minimums, not self-serve sponsored ads. Smaller sellers should treat them as something to watch, while larger brands can ask for a test cell in Q1 when CPMs usually fall after the holidays. If you are weighing DSP spend on Amazon and Walmart together, our guide to Amazon DSP vs sponsored ads covers how to judge upper-funnel media against search ads.
How to test it without wasting budget
Keep the test small and measurable. Hold search budgets steady so you can see whether any lift in Walmart sales comes from the new channel.
- Fix listings and in-stock rates on the items you will promote
- Set a holdout or matched-market test before launch
- Judge results on new-to-brand Walmart sales, not just reach
- Keep Sponsored Products budgets stable during the test
- Ask Walmart which measurement partner backs each metric
What PPC Spider recommends this week
Brands already spending steadily on Walmart search ads should ask their Walmart Connect contact about the Spotify and live TV offers for Q1 planning. Everyone else should keep the basics strong first. Our Walmart advertising agency team manages Walmart Connect alongside Amazon, and our retail media agency service covers the wider network mix. Follow more updates on the retail media news channel, or start with a free audit.
Sources
- Walmart Connect: Expanding where and how advertisers can use Walmart audiences and measurement (walmartconnect.com/resources/articles/2026/walmart-audiences-measurement-across-media)
- MediaPost: Walmart Connect Expands Audience, CTV Measurement (mediapost.com/publications/article/418530/walmart-connect-expands-audience-ctv-measurement.html)
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