Two of the biggest players in streaming - Netflix and Amazon - just shook hands on an ad tech deal that would’ve seemed impossible a few years ago. Starting Q4 2025, advertisers will be able to buy Netflix inventory directly through Amazon’s DSP, joining a line-up that already includes Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery.

On paper, it’s simple: Netflix solves scale and measurement issues; Amazon strengthens its claim as the connective tissue of streaming ads. But strategically, this is one of those moments that shows how streaming’s new currency is less about exclusivity and more about interoperability.

📊 Supporting Stats

Netflix commands 8.8% of total U.S. TV viewing (Nielsen’s The Gauge, Aug 2025). Prime Video sits at 3.8%.
Global CTV ad spend is expected to hit $36B by 2026, up from $25B in 2023 (Statista).
Netflix’s ad tier, launched late 2022, now reaches 45M monthly active users globally (Insider Intelligence, 2025).
Amazon Ads already accounts for 13% of U.S. digital ad spend, behind only Google and Meta (eMarketer).

🧠 Decision: Does It Work?

Yes - strategically and commercially.

For Netflix, plugging into Amazon’s DSP is a shortcut to ad dollars at scale. Its ad tier has grown fast but still struggles with targeting sophistication and advertiser ease-of-buy. Amazon brings both, plus commerce data no one else can match.

For Amazon, this is about dominance. Owning the rails that everyone else has to ride on makes Amazon less of a media player and more of an infrastructure layer. With Netflix on board, its DSP becomes the one-stop shop for premium CTV inventory.

Culturally, this is less “Netflix being bold” and more Netflix recognising it can’t go it alone in advertising. The win is in pragmatism: showing that partnering with rivals doesn’t dilute brand equity if the value exchange is clear.

📌 Key Takeouts

What happened: Netflix partnered with Amazon Ads to sell its inventory programmatically via Amazon’s DSP across 12 major markets.
What works well: Netflix gains immediate scale, targeting sophistication and commerce data access. Amazon gains the final premium puzzle piece for its DSP dominance.
Risks/weaknesses: Netflix risks handing too much leverage to Amazon, creating dependence in a space it wants to own long-term.
Strategic signal: The streaming ad economy is shifting from walled gardens to shared marketplaces, where convenience for advertisers outweighs exclusivity.
For marketers: Expect easier, centralised CTV buys but also less price transparency and potential concentration of power in Amazon’s hands.

🔮 What We Can Expect Next

This deal sets up a race for streaming ad infrastructure dominance. If Amazon becomes the de facto exchange for premium video, others (Google, The Trade Desk) will be forced to differentiate on measurement or data transparency.

For Netflix, the next move is proving that ads don’t just add revenue but also improve discovery and engagement. For advertisers, 2026 upfronts will look very different - more like buying search and social, less like TV.

The bigger question: will the convenience of a single DSP outweigh the risk of Amazon controlling so much of the ad supply chain?