iHeartMedia and Amazon have announced a new deal for the broadcaster to offer local advertisers commercials on Amazon platforms.
What We Know: The deal makes iHeartMedia a local reseller of the audio and video inventory on Prime Video, Twitch, Amazon Music, Fire TV, and Alexa. It also creates a unified path for iHeartMedia customers to use Amazon DSP for a variety of iHeart’s digital inventory.
What They Said: “Advertisers are increasingly looking for media solutions that combine scale, intelligence and simplicity across channels. By combining Amazon Ads’ shopping insights and advertising technology with iHeart’s audio leadership, we’re creating a more seamless, data-informed way for brands to create more effective campaigns across sound and sight.” -iHeartMedia Chief Business Officer Lisa Coffey
“This expansion of our long-standing relationship with iHeartMedia gives brands new opportunities to connect with consumers across more screens and speakers with greater relevance and measurable outcomes,” said Jenn Donohue, Head of Local Ad Sales, Amazon Ads. “Together, we’re making it easier for advertisers to activate campaigns across premium audio and streaming environments while leveraging signals that support smarter planning, targeting, and performance.” -Amazon Ads Head of Local Ad Sales Jenn Donohue
What Remains Unclear: The companies did not disclose when the expanded partnership will be fully implemented or whether it is already available to all advertisers.
What It Means: The partnership highlights a growing convergence between broadcasters and Big Tech. Rather than competing directly with Amazon for advertising dollars, iHeartMedia is choosing to integrate Amazon’s technology and data into its own sales strategy. If the collaboration proves successful, it could encourage other large broadcasters and audio companies to pursue similar alliances with major technology platforms to remain competitive in an increasingly data-driven advertising marketplace.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
