Amazon’s advertising ecosystem just made a landmark expansion into streaming television. In a move that bridges e-commerce data with premium content, Netflix has partnered with Amazon’s Demand-Side Platform (DSP) to sell its ad inventory programmatically. Starting in Q4 2025, advertisers in 11 countries (including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and Japan) will be able to buy ads on Netflix through Amazon DSP. This alliance is more than just another media deal – it’s a paradigm shift that could reshape how brands plan campaigns, blending Amazon’s rich shopper data with Netflix’s massive streaming audience. In this article, we’ll break down what Amazon DSP is, why Netflix’s ad-supported streaming is such a big opportunity, and what this partnership means for brand advertisers and media buyers looking to drive growth.
Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) is Amazon’s programmatic advertising platform that allows brands to run display, video, and audio ads both on and off Amazon. Unlike Amazon’s on-site Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands (ads that appear on Amazon’s marketplace), DSP campaigns reach audiences across a broad network of websites, mobile apps, and streaming services – including Amazon-owned properties like IMDb, Twitch, and Fire TVsmartscout.com. This means an advertiser can use Amazon’s first-party consumer data (shopping and browsing insights from millions of Amazon users) to target ads virtually anywhere online, not just within Amazon’s store. For example, a brand can serve an ad to someone who viewed its product on Amazon while that person is later reading a news site or watching streaming content.
Key benefits of Amazon DSP: Amazon’s DSP offers advanced audience targeting and unique data integration. Advertisers can target very specific segments – say, users who searched for running shoes in the past month or Prime members who frequently buy organic snacks. These rich targeting capabilities are possible because Amazon DSP leverages Amazon’s enormous trove of shopper data and interest signalssmartscout.com. Moreover, Amazon DSP provides flexibility in ad destinations: campaigns can drive traffic to Amazon product listings or to external websites/landing pages, which is particularly useful for brands with their own direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites. Even brands that don’t sell on Amazon (such as automotive or travel companies) can use DSP to reach relevant audiences via Amazon’s data – one of the few ways to tap Amazon’s insights outside the Amazon marketplace.
It’s important to note that Amazon DSP is typically a premium advertising tool intended for mid- to large advertisers. There are usually minimum spend requirements (often in the five-figures per month) and a level of complexity that comes with programmatic ad buying. Many brands therefore use Amazon’s managed-service or work with specialized agencies to run DSP campaigns. (Working with an experienced Amazon DSP partner like Skale Strategy can help advertisers navigate these complexities and maximize ROI, especially if they lack in-house programmatic expertise.) The payoff, however, can be significant: Amazon reports that combining DSP with Amazon’s Sponsored Ads yields far better outcomes – audiences exposed to both were 25× more likely to purchase than those who saw only a Sponsored Product ad, and brands saw 21% more new-to-brand sales when adding DSP to their ad mixsmartscout.com. In short, Amazon DSP adds a powerful upper- and mid-funnel dimension to Amazon advertising, helping drive awareness and consideration that ultimately boosts conversions and customer acquisition.
Netflix has long been the world’s largest subscription streaming service, but it entered the advertising world only recently. In November 2022, Netflix launched its first ad-supported tier (“Basic with Ads”), allowing subscribers to pay a lower fee in exchange for seeing commercials. Initially, Netflix’s foray into ads was modest – it partnered with Microsoft’s ad tech (via the Xandr platform) as an exclusive sales partner and commanded very high ad prices (early reports cited ~$65 CPM for Netflix ads, a premium by industry standards). Despite some skepticism, Netflix’s ad tier quickly gained traction. Within six months, Netflix had about 5 million monthly active users on the ad-supported plan, and by early 2024 that number had surged to over 23 million MAUs globally as the offering rolled out to more countriesvariety.comcordcuttersnews.com. In other words, Netflix rapidly built a substantial audience segment that brands could reach via advertising, spanning dozens of millions of engaged viewers.
To capitalize on this, Netflix recognized it needed to make buying its ads as easy as possible for advertisers. Big brands and media buyers often use programmatic platforms (DSPs) to manage campaigns across many channels. Over 2023, Netflix began opening up its ad inventory to multiple DSPs. It integrated with Google’s Display & Video 360 (DV360) and The Trade Desk, among others, so that advertisers could purchase Netflix spots through these familiar platforms. By mid-2025, Netflix had deals with all major ad-buying platforms – from Google and The Trade Desk to Yahoo’s DSP and Microsoft – essentially inviting a broad range of demand into its streaming ad spaceadtechradar.com. This strategy represented a shift from exclusivity to inclusivity, aiming to attract more advertising dollars by meeting advertisers where they already manage budgets.
Enter Amazon DSP: Netflix’s partnership with Amazon, announced in September 2025, was perhaps the most high-profile of these integrations, given Amazon’s clout. It allows advertisers to use Amazon DSP – one of the largest programmatic platforms – to buy video ads that run on Netflix’s ad-supported content. Starting in Q4 2025, brands in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and Australia can access Netflix’s premium streaming inventory directly through Amazon’s buying interfaceadvertising.amazon.com. This is a global rollout, covering Netflix’s key markets. Practically, an advertiser using Amazon DSP can now include Netflix placements in their campaign targeting and budgeting, alongside other Amazon DSP inventory (like Twitch, IMDb, third-party sites, etc.), all in one consolidated platform.
Netflix’s ad slots were previously only available through limited channels or direct deals, so this partnership is a win-win for advertisers and the platforms. As Netflix’s President of Advertising, Amy Reinhard, noted, the goal is to provide advertisers “greater flexibility in their buys” and make it “easier than ever to connect with Netflix’s global engaged audience”advertising.amazon.com. For Amazon’s part, Amazon Ads SVP Paul Kotas highlighted removing friction and “making it simple to manage all of their TV planning and buying with Amazon Ads”advertising.amazon.com. In essence, an advertiser can log into Amazon DSP and plan a TV campaign that includes Netflix alongside other streaming channels, using the same data, tools, and reporting – instead of negotiating separate deals or using a different platform for Netflix.
The Amazon DSP + Netflix integration is more than just a new media option – it represents a convergence of commerce media and streaming media that can unlock growth opportunities for brands. Here are the key implications:
1. Unmatched Audience Reach Meets Precision Targeting: Netflix offers an enormous, captive audience of viewers who often watch content for hours with high attention levels. For brands, this is premium real estate – akin to the “prime time” TV of the streaming era. Now, by accessing Netflix via Amazon DSP, advertisers can apply Amazon’s granular targeting to that premium inventory. Amazon’s DSP brings sophisticated audience segments (based on shopping habits, interests, demographics, and more) to the table. This means a brand can do things like target an ad for fitness apparel to Netflix viewers who have recently browsed running shoes and also fit a certain age/income profile. That level of precision was not easily achievable with traditional TV buys or even with standalone streaming buys. As a result, brands can expect higher relevancy and engagement from their Netflix ads. One agency commentary described this targeting power as almost unfair – “like showing up to the party with the guest list, the music, and the snacks already figured out”, since Amazon’s first-party data takes the guessing game out of who’s seeing your adwhitesharkmedia.com. For brands focused on efficient growth, getting their message in front of the right viewers (not just the most viewers) is crucial. This partnership enables that on a huge scale.
2. Full-Funnel Marketing in One Place: The deal blurs the line between upper-funnel brand advertising and lower-funnel performance marketing. Netflix ads are generally a brand awareness play – they’re TV-style video spots intended to build awareness or consideration. However, by buying through Amazon DSP, those same ads can be closely integrated with performance metrics and retargeting. For example, a viewer might see a brand’s commercial on Netflix and later that week see a display ad for the same brand on an Amazon.com homepage or on a news site via Amazon DSP retargeting – reinforcing the message and driving them to click and purchase. Advertisers can use Amazon’s attribution tools (like Amazon Marketing Cloud) to analyze how exposure to a Netflix ad influences downstream behaviors, such as searches or product purchases on Amazon or visits to the brand’s websitesmartscout.com. This is a game-changer for measuring ROI on what used to be pure upper-funnel spend. E-marketer analysts have noted that deals like this promise a future where “advertising can directly and cleanly drive sales or conversions”, truly linking brand ads to shopping outcomesemarketer.com. In short, brands can pursue TV-level brand building and get performance insights, aligning marketing objectives across the funnel.
3. Simplified Buying and Greater Efficiency for Agencies: Media buyers and agencies will appreciate the operational efficiency. Instead of siloed buys – one team buying Netflix via one platform and another team buying Amazon ads elsewhere – everything can be handled in one DSP interface. This reduces overhead and allows for holistic campaign optimization. An agency can allocate budget fluidly between Netflix and other channels within Amazon DSP, based on what’s delivering results, without platform switching costs. The integration essentially “cuts down on complexity” for advertiserswhitesharkmedia.com. Early industry reactions have called it a “win-win for advertisers, Netflix, and Amazon”, suggesting that fewer, more powerful platforms are streamlining the ad tech landscape. Moreover, frequency management and audience overlap control are easier when using one DSP – you can ensure the same viewer isn’t overexposed, or exclude people who already converted from seeing the Netflix ad, etc. That kind of fine-tuning drives better use of ad spend, which ultimately improves return on ad spend (ROAS) and growth.
4. Premium Content, Brand Halo Effect: Advertising on Netflix via Amazon DSP lets a wide range of brands access premium TV content environments that might have been difficult to buy into before. For instance, Netflix’s hit shows and movies are content that traditionally only big-budget TV advertisers could touch via direct deals. Now, mid-sized brands (who meet Amazon DSP’s spend minimums) can get spots on Netflix shows programmatically. This “democratization” of premium streaming ads could benefit smaller brands that want the halo effect of being seen on top-tier contentemarketer.comemarketer.com. Streaming ads confer a level of prestige and consumer trust – viewers often perceive TV ads as signals of a reputable, established brand. As one Amazon partner agency noted, being on streaming TV “legitimizes brands” in consumers’ eyes, showing that the company is big and serious enough to advertise on televisionmodernretail.comodernretail.co. Thus, beyond immediate sales, there’s a brand equity boost that can fuel longer-term growth (e.g., increased brand recall, higher click-through on other channels, etc.). The partnership could make premium streaming more accessible to those who previously only stuck to digital ads, broadening their marketing mix.
5. Global Scale with Local Relevance: The fact that Netflix’s inventory is accessible in 11 countries through Amazon DSP at launch means global brands can orchestrate a multi-country campaign seamlessly. Amazon DSP supports geo-targeting and market-specific creatives, so an international brand can plan Netflix ads in the US, Europe, and Asia all in one go, while tailoring messages to each region. This unified approach can help brands grow globally in a coordinated way. On the flip side, local or regional brands in those markets also gain entry to Netflix’s audience without needing a direct Netflix relationship. With streaming viewership fragmented across services, having Netflix in Amazon’s portfolio helps consolidate reach. Advertisers shifting budgets from linear TV to connected TV (CTV) can do so more confidently knowing they can hit Netflix’s audience plus Amazon’s other channels together. Given that CTV ad spending is surging past $30 billion in the U.S. this yearadtechradar.com, capturing Netflix as part of that spend is important for any brand’s growth strategy in video advertising.
6. Improved Measurement and Shopper Insights: One of Amazon DSP’s strengths is measurement – advertisers get detailed reports and can even use Amazon Attribution or Amazon Marketing Cloud to connect ad views to product detail page visits or purchases. When buying Netflix through Amazon DSP, advertisers will likely be able to use these tools to gauge performance. For example, a brand could see if a Netflix ad led to an uptick in Amazon search volume for their brand or if it drove more people to look at their product page (even if the ad itself doesn’t click through to Amazon). Additionally, Amazon’s “clean room” integration with Netflix means data can be shared in privacy-safe ways to attribute outcomesadvertising.amazon.com. The bottom line is advertisers can apply e-commerce style analytics to TV ads. Instead of old metrics like rough eyeball counts or panel-based ratings, they can get more concrete indicators of interest and even conversions. This empowers marketers to justify ad spend and double down on what’s working, fueling more efficient growth.
While the Amazon DSP + Netflix partnership opens exciting doors, advertisers should approach it strategically:
The collaboration between Amazon DSP and Netflix marks a significant turning point in digital advertising. It brings together the best of two worlds: Netflix’s expansive, engaged streaming audience and Amazon’s unmatched data-driven advertising engine. For brand advertisers and media buyers, this means unprecedented opportunities to scale brand growth. You can now reach consumers during their favorite Netflix show – a moment of high engagement – and do so with the precision, flexibility, and measurability that Amazon’s platform provides.
In practical terms, the new partnership simplifies how you buy premium video ads and enhances what you get out of them. It’s a chance to elevate your brand on one of the most-watched streaming services, while maintaining control over targeting and insight into performance. As retail media and streaming media converge, players like Amazon are positioning themselves at the center of this ecosystem. Amazon’s aggressive moves (integrating with Netflix, Roku, Disney+, etc.) signal that it aims to be a one-stop hub for connected TV advertisingbusinessinsider.commodernretail.co. Brands that leverage this hub can orchestrate powerful cross-channel campaigns, converting TV impressions into e-commerce growth.
Ultimately, the Amazon-Netflix deal is a “game-changer” for advertiserswhitesharkmedia.com. It embodies the future of advertising where formerly separate domains – shopping data and television – merge to create more effective marketing. Brands that embrace this now will be at an advantage in crafting compelling, data-informed narratives across the consumer journey. If brand growth is the goal, tapping into Netflix via Amazon DSP might just be the next big move to consider. Prepare your creative (make it binge-worthy!), line up your targeting, and get ready to connect with your audience on the world’s favorite streaming platform – now supercharged with Amazon’s advertising prowess.
