The complexity of purchasing premium video across linear and streaming endpoints has long plagued the industry, creating friction that often sends budgets flowing toward simpler social platforms.
As artificial intelligence matures from generative creative tools into autonomous transaction capabilities, the machinery of media trading is beginning to mimic the speed of high-frequency finance.
But while algorithms accelerate the pace of commerce, the fundamental reliance on human trust remains unshakable, said Mark McKee, EVP and GM, FreeWheel, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
The rise of autonomous agents
In January 2026, FreeWheel, NBCUniversal, RPA, and Newton Research unveiled a mechanism for agentic AI buying across linear and digital platforms, enabling agencies to execute and optimize premium video investments in seconds. The development represents a move toward systems that can negotiate and transact without constant manual oversight.
McKee highlighted this “agent-to-agent” capability as a critical evolution for 2026, granting media owners and buyers greater autonomy over their technology stacks. He suggested that this approach allows companies to break free from the constraints of third-party development schedules.
“I think agent to agent buying is certainly one of the aspects and the power of an MCP server,” McKee said. “What it allows you to do is not be beholden to anyone’s roadmaps. You’re beholden to your own roadmap and your own ideas. And I think that’s the thing that’s most exciting for us right now.”
Simplicity as the ultimate metric
McKee emphasized that the primary dividend of AI deployment is not just efficiency, but a radical reduction in friction for buyers who have grown accustomed to seamless interfaces elsewhere. He thinks the disparity in ease-of-use between television and digital platforms remains a hurdle that automation must clear.
“The most important piece is the simplicity that it’s bringing,” McKee said. “As we look at AI and automation… it’s complex. It’s a complex process. And so we have to make it as simple as it is to buy social. And so that’s where I think the use of technology, the use of AI, will really allow us to move quicker and more efficiently.”
This drive for simplified, tech-enabled asset creation is mirrored across the sector; the Interactive Advertising Bureau projects that nearly 40% of video ad creatives will utilize generative AI by 2026, driven by the need to tailor ads for specific audiences and optimize contextual fit, according to eMarketer.
From idea to prototype in days
The velocity at which concepts travel from whiteboard to execution is undergoing a dramatic shift. FreeWheel has observed that the integration of AI tools allows for rapid iteration that was previously impossible in a fragmented media supply chain.
McKee noted that the “rate of change” is the most exhilarating aspect of the current landscape, allowing companies to bypass traditional, months-long development cycles. He described a new operational cadence where innovation happens over weekends rather than quarters.
“Just think about how amazing it is to say on a Friday, I have this idea, and by Monday you have a prototype of that idea being used with MCP or agent to agent type of ideas or works or optimizations,” McKee said.
You’re watching “Tailwinds of Transformation, a Beet.TV Leadership Series at CES 2026, presented by FreeWheel” For more videos from this summit, please visit this page.
