Amazon Ads 2026: Upper Funnel, Prime Video and Creator Connections

BLOG: Advertising

6 Min Read | December, 2025 | BY Timo Gralle

Why 2026 Will Be a Breakthrough Year for Amazon Advertising

Amazon vendors are entering a cycle where awareness and consideration play a much bigger role. Prime Video now includes ads, Streaming TV inventory is rapidly expanding, and creator-led commerce is entering a more structured, programmatic phase. For the first time, Amazon is actively shaping how advertisers plan full-funnel strategies on the platform.

Amazon introduced limited ads on Prime Video in early 2024, creating a premium environment for brand reach within the Amazon Ads ecosystem. The launch signals Amazon’s ambition to engage streaming audiences at scale while reshaping how advertisers reach new customers.

Beyond product launches, Amazon is also changing how major advertisers commit budgets. Through Amazon DSP, insertion-order and DSP agreements, and growing upfront commitments for streaming and live sports, Amazon is steering more media spend into awareness surfaces. The platform is positioning itself as a true full-funnel solution rather than a performance-only engine.

What this means for you

Treat upper funnel as a mandatory element of your Amazon strategy.
Set KPIs for reach, branded search lift and new-to-brand, not only ROAS.
Ensure high quality PDP content and inventory before scaling awareness.
Expect more deal structures and packages through Amazon DSP.

Prime Video and Streaming TV for 1P Vendors

Streaming TV ads are full-screen video placements that appear before, during, or after content across Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV Channels, and select premium publishers. They are bought within Amazon Ads and are designed to complement Sponsored Ads by increasing reach and consideration. Amazon’s product and support pages describe how these placements work and where they appear. Streaming TV formats can also include interactive elements, such as QR codes that send users directly to the PDP or Brand Store.

What this means for you

Build a full-funnel campaign strategy that pairs Streaming TV for reach with Sponsored Ads for intent capture.
Align your advertising creative and PDP content to ensure a cohesive brand experience.
Plan campaign flights for new product launches around special events with high traffic peaks.

Creator Connections and Influencer Commerce on Amazon

Creator Connections is Amazon’s performance-based marketplace where vendors collaborate with Amazon Creators. Brands select products, set commission rates, define time ranges, and cap budgets. This enables scalable and measurable influencer programs directly within Amazon Ads.

What this means for you

Prepare structured creator briefs and product lists.
Ensure availability and high PDP quality for all featured ASINs.
Build a test-and-learn case for the available regions before scaling quickly once additional regions open.

Proving Impact with Amazon Marketing Cloud

The Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) empowers brands to measure the impact of upper funnel ads, such as Streaming TV ads - it is the first time your TV advertising becomes measurable. Furthermore, it is possible to create highly specific audiences based on shoppers past shopping signals to increase the effectiveness of your media budget.

What this means for you

Leverage AMC custom audiences for your awareness activities to increase the efficiency.
Measure the outcome of your full funnel activation instead of evaluating each campaign individually.

How CATAPULT Helps You Operationalize a Full-Funnel Strategy

CATAPULT’s Holistic Planning brings your retail and media data together in one view so you can understand how upper-funnel activities like Streaming TV and creator campaigns influence real business outcomes. It gives cross-functional teams a shared source of truth to analyze sales drivers, measure media contribution and make smarter decisions.

What Holistic Planning Delivers

A unified retail and media dashboard that connects Sponsored Ads, DSP and organic sales.
Clear visibility into how shifting budgets impact sell-out and ROAS efficiency.
Product-level attribution to see which campaigns drive measurable growth.
Profitability insights to understand the true financial impact of advertising investments.

What this means for you

You can scale upper-funnel tactics with confidence because you can measure their real impact.
Your ecommerce, media and operations teams work with one consistent dataset.
You make faster, data-backed decisions that improve both sales and profitability.

Sounds interesting? Get in touch with the CATAPULT team to activate your free trial here.

About the author

Timo Gralle

Timo joined Front Row in February 2024 as a holistic E-Commerce Consultant, focusing on strategic client advisory, media planning, and ensuring brand-compliant execution across Amazon and other retail media channels like Otto and Rewe.