The digital ad industry just got a shakeup: Netflix has selected Amazon as its global advertising partner.
Starting next year, Amazon Ads will provide the ad tech backbone for Netflix’s growing ad-supported tier. Microsoft, which won Netflix’s business back in 2022, is out of the picture.
This move isn’t just a reshuffling of vendor contracts. It represents a new convergence — where streaming platforms and retail media collide, and where the largest eCommerce player now becomes the infrastructure layer for one of the largest entertainment companies.
Netflix’s ad-supported tier has grown quickly, but its ad stack was lagging. Microsoft provided an entry point, but it lacked the scale and data integration Netflix needs to compete with Hulu, Disney, and YouTube.
Amazon, by contrast, brings:
Advanced targeting capabilities powered by first-party shopping and behavioral data.
Global ad infrastructure that can scale with Netflix’s international footprint.
Video-first ad innovation honed on Twitch, Freevee, and Prime Video.
In short: Microsoft was a stopgap. Amazon is a long-term growth partner.
What This Means for Amazon Ads
This is a milestone for Amazon. Until now, their advertising empire was centered on commerce: search, display, DSP, and retail media. With Netflix, Amazon gains a premium video distribution channel outside its own walled garden.
It’s also a validation of Amazon’s ambition to compete head-on with Google and Meta in the broader digital ad market. By powering Netflix, Amazon isn’t just selling ads on its own properties — it’s becoming an ad tech platform for the wider internet.
Audience extension gets easier. Brands will be able to connect shopping intent data from Amazon with premium streaming audiences on Netflix — potentially the most powerful fusion of commerce and entertainment advertising to date.
Budgets consolidate. Marketers already allocating heavily to Amazon DSP may find it seamless to extend campaigns into Netflix inventory. This could accelerate spend consolidation under Amazon’s roof.
Competition for video dollars intensifies. Disney, YouTube, and TikTok suddenly face a stronger competitor. For brands, this means more choice — but also more pressure to master cross-platform measurement.
The Bigger Picture
The partnership blurs the line between retail media and entertainment advertising. In effect, Amazon is saying: we’re not just the future of shopping ads — we’re the backbone of video ads too.
For Netflix, it’s an admission that data-driven targeting is the key to scaling its ad business. For Amazon, it’s the next step in becoming not just the largest eCommerce ad network, but one of the foundations of global digital advertising.
Final Take
When a streaming giant partners with the world’s dominant eCommerce ad network, the ripple effects go beyond video.
This is about control over data, budgets, and the consumer journey. Netflix gets the infrastructure it needs. Amazon gets access to the living room at scale.
And for brands? It means the digital shelf just got wider — stretching from the search bar to the streaming screen.
Konstantin Cherednychenko is an eCommerce and digital marketing expert with 10+ years of experience driving growth for global brands on Amazon and beyond. He’s led campaigns for brands that generated over $400M in revenue, blending data, creativity, and a deep obsession with the digital shelf. Passionate about full-funnel strategy, performance advertising, and marketplace mechanics, he brings sharp insights and real-world tactics to the column each week.
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