Amazon Ads introduces Sponsored TV for streaming ad campaigns

Amazon Ads has introduced Sponsored TV, a self-service ad solution that allows brands of all sizes selling on Amazon.in to run streaming TV campaigns. This feature enables brands to reach audiences through Amazon's streaming content, starting with Amazon MX Player.

Kapil Sharma, Director of Amazon Ads India, explained, "At Amazon Ads, we believe that brand-building strategies, like video advertising, should be accessible to businesses of all sizes, regardless of budget or expertise. With Sponsored TV, we’re democratising streaming TV advertising in India, enabling brands to run efficient video campaigns using our flexible, self-service tools. Powered by machine learning optimization models, Sponsored TV campaigns provide efficient reach by leveraging trillions of Amazon's first-party streaming, shopping, and browsing signals to create relevant ad experiences for viewers across screens."

Small and medium-sized brands often find TV advertising costly and challenging to measure. Amazon's research shows that many of these marketers lack TV-quality creative assets. According to Axios Media Trends, streaming TV is surpassing linear TV as the leading method of television consumption. Sponsored TV aims to help brands reach cord-cutting audiences with self-service controls, measurement tools, and creative support.

The platform provides flexibility with no minimum campaign spend or upfront commitments. Brands can easily create streaming TV campaigns in just a few clicks through the console or via the Amazon Ads API.

Patrick Miller, co-founder of Flywheel, commented, “TV advertising is no longer just for the big brands. With self-serve buying and closed-loop measurements, Sponsored TV makes streaming TV advertising a cost-efficient option for emerging and enterprise brands that want to connect the entertainment and shopping journey for customers.”

Brands with existing TV-quality assets can use their current creatives for Sponsored TV campaigns. For those new to streaming TV advertising and lacking such assets, Amazon Ads offers creative services to develop campaigns using a brand's digital and social media content at various rates. These TV-quality creatives can also be used across other Amazon Ads placements, including brand stores and sponsored ads campaigns.

The platform uses machine learning-powered optimisation models informed by Amazon's first-party shopping and entertainment data. This allows brands to reach audiences based on content preferences, such as reality series, comedy, and international shows, and engage those interested in product categories sold on Amazon. To track performance, advertisers can access self-service metrics, including ad-attributed branded searches and detail page views, offering real-time insights into campaign impact.