Amazon's Ad Sales Surge, Fueled by New NBA Deal and Live Sports

Amazon has wrapped its 2025-26 upfront ad sales, reporting “significant growth” that outpaced its own forecasts. The success is largely driven by its expanding portfolio of live sports on Prime Video, including a new NBA contract that's drawing in major advertisers.

• Slam dunk deal: Amazon’s expanding roster of live sports is driving the surge in ad commitments. While Thursday Night Football laid the groundwork, the company confirmed that its new, high-profile NBA contract was a major factor in driving volume from advertisers. Beyond the court, original shows like Fallout and Beast Games also drew strong interest from brands looking to strike partnerships.
• From upstart to titan: When Amazon first flooded Prime Video with ad inventory in 2024, it upended the market. Now, armed with premium sports content, the company is solidifying its position as a must-buy for major brands, with analysts projecting its upfront haul could climb 30% to $1.8 billion.
• The everything store gets ads: The upfront success is just one piece of Amazon's strategy to weave its commercial ambitions into every corner of its empire. The company recently inked a deal to power Macy’s retail media network and CEO Andy Jassy has confirmed plans to integrate ads directly into conversations with its new AI-powered Alexa+.

Amazon is methodically turning every one of its surfaces—from streaming video to retail sites to voice assistants—into a powerful and interconnected advertising platform, creating a formidable new force in the digital ad world. The company is also running strategic experiments in other parts of its ad business. Amazon recently resumed spending on Google Shopping ads across its international domains after a mysterious, month-long pause, a move seen as a deliberate test of its reliance on Google for traffic.