Amazon entered upfront season determined to compete directly with traditional television giants. The company used sports, data and commerce tools to strengthen its advertising pitch.
What We Know: Amazon aggressively positioned itself as a major upfront player during this year’s negotiations. Executives argued the company now competes directly with major broadcast networks, highlighting the company’s growing sports portfolio. Amazon currently holds rights agreements with the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NASCAR and NWSL.
The network had Ryan Fitzpatrick, Charissa Thompson, Andrew Whitworth on hand from Thursday Night Football. Michael B. Jordan spoke too in support of his production company’s new TV series: “The Greatest,” “Delphi” and “Fourth Wing.”
Amazon continues to expand its live sports inventory across streaming platforms. Its WNBA advertising inventory already sold out before coverage officially begins. NBA regular season and playoff inventory also reportedly sold out early. Those developments signal stronger advertiser confidence in streaming sports.
Meanwhile, Amazon leaned heavily into its audience targeting and commerce data advantages. Amazon introduced new advertising technology ahead of upfront negotiations, and unveiled Dynamic TV Creative, an AI-powered advertising tool for Prime Video campaigns. Furthermore, Amazon announced a new partnership with LinkedIn during upfront week. The deal allows advertisers to target programmatic ads using LinkedIn audience data.
The company continues developing shoppable ad formats tied to sports programming. Amazon believes those tools help connect brand awareness directly to consumer purchases. Research supports Amazon’s broader sports strategy. According to company data, advertisers using multiple sports properties increase unduplicated reach by 2.3 times. Amazon claims those campaigns generate a 12% increase in consumer spending and a 17% increase in unit orders.
What They Said: “We’re not incremental to linear anymore. We’re competing at the broadcast level.” – Tanner Elton, Vice President, Advertising Sales at Amazon
What Remains Unclear: Amazon still trails traditional television networks in overall sports viewing hours. Streaming accounted for only 12.3% of sports viewing during third quarter 2025. Additionally, Amazon declined to disclose how much sports contributed to its $68 billion advertising business. The company also hasn’t revealed long-term profitability expectations for sports rights investments. Questions remain as well about whether the company’s streaming can eventually rival ESPN or Fox Sports in audience scale.
What It Means: Amazon’s upfront strategy was to convey to advertisers why its broader commerce ecosystem deserves stronger consideration. Sports programming is now both an audience driver and advertising gateway. Amazon believes its data and shopping tools create advantages traditional broadcasters cannot match. Moreover, the company appears focused on blending sports, entertainment and e-commerce into one advertising package. That approach could reshape future upfront negotiations if streaming sports audiences continue growing.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
