What is Amazon DSP and How Does it Work?

Most advertisers are still treating digital media like it is 2020. Meta for prospecting, Google for capture, maybe a bit of LinkedIn if the audience is B2B. The problem is everyone else is doing the same thing, in the same auctions, chasing the same impressions. Costs go up. Returns go down. Something has to give.

Amazon DSP is one of the few platforms genuinely doing something different. It uses Amazon's first-party purchase data to put your ads in front of people who have shown real buying signals. Not pages they liked five years ago. Actual products they have searched, viewed, and bought. And it serves those ads across exclusive premium inventory like Prime Video, Twitch, IMDb, and Fire TV, alongside thousands of third-party sites and apps.

You do not have to sell on Amazon to use it. You do not have to abandon your existing channels. What you do need is a clear understanding of how it works, where it fits, and what it can do for your business. That is what this guide is for.

What is Amazon DSP?

Amazon DSP stands for Demand-Side Platform. It is Amazon’s programmatic advertising system. It lets businesses buy display, video, and audio ads at scale across Amazon’s own properties and thousands of external websites and apps.

Most advertising platforms target audiences based on browsing behaviour or interests. Amazon DSP goes further. It uses Amazon’s first-party purchase data, meaning you can reach people based on what they have actually searched for, viewed, and bought. That is a level of purchase-based intent that is difficult for other platforms to match at scale.

But targeting is only half the story. Amazon DSP also gives you access to advertising inventory that is not available anywhere else. Your ads can run across Prime Video, Twitch, IMDb, Fire TV, and Amazon.com, alongside placements on third-party websites and apps. That combination of exclusive channels and purchase-based targeting is what makes the platform so powerful.

You do not need to sell products on Amazon to use Amazon DSP. It works just as well for businesses driving traffic to their own website, generating leads, or building brand awareness.

Why it matters

Amazon has built one of the largest and most accurate consumer datasets in the world. It has also built a streaming and entertainment ecosystem that reaches hundreds of millions of people. Here is what that means for your advertising.

Sources: Prime Video reach based on Amazon internal data, Sep 2024–Aug 2025, announced at unBoxed 2025. Fire TV figure from Amazon device sales reporting, Nov 2024. Purchase intent metric from Amazon Ads benchmarking data.

Where your ads appear

One of the biggest advantages of Amazon DSP is the exclusive inventory it unlocks. These are channels you cannot buy through Google, Meta, or any other demand-side platform.

Prime Video

Prime Video reaches over 315 million ad-supported viewers globally each month. Since introducing ads in early 2024, it has become one of the largest premium streaming ad environments in the world. Your ads appear before, during, or after shows and films across connected TV, mobile, and desktop. Formats include standard video and interactive overlays. Amazon has also begun rolling out shoppable ad formats on Prime Video, which let viewers add products to their Amazon cart directly from the screen. Availability of shoppable formats varies by market and campaign type, so check with your Amazon Ads representative on eligibility.

Twitch

Twitch is Amazon’s live streaming platform, reaching millions of daily active users across gaming, entertainment, sports, and music. It skews younger and more engaged than most digital channels. Ads on Twitch include pre-roll and mid-roll video, display banners, and branded content integrations. If you are trying to connect with Gen Z and millennial audiences, Twitch gives you a direct line.

IMDb

IMDb is one of the most visited entertainment sites in the world. Display and video ads on IMDb reach audiences actively researching films, TV shows, and celebrities. It is a strong placement for awareness campaigns, particularly in entertainment, lifestyle, and consumer categories.

Fire TV

With over 250 million devices sold globally, Fire TV is one of the largest connected TV ecosystems in the market. Ads appear on the Fire TV home screen, within free ad-supported streaming channels, and across third-party apps available on the platform. Fire TV placements put your brand on the biggest screen in the household.

Amazon.com and the open web

Beyond streaming, Amazon DSP serves display and video ads across Amazon’s own shopping pages, product detail pages, Kindle, Goodreads, and a wide network of third-party websites and apps. This means you can build full-funnel campaigns that reach people from awareness through to purchase, all within one platform.

Is Amazon DSP right for your business?

Amazon DSP works well for businesses that:

• Sell products online and want to reach buyers in active purchase mode
• Want to run ads across premium streaming channels like Prime Video and Twitch, without buying separate media deals
• Are losing sales to competitors on Amazon, even if they do not sell there themselves
• Need to scale beyond Meta and Google without sacrificing audience quality
• Want to retarget website visitors or past customers with precision
• Are building brand awareness in a competitive category and want connected TV reach

If you are a mid-market business spending on digital advertising and your cost per acquisition is creeping up, Amazon DSP is worth a serious look. The combination of purchase-based targeting and exclusive streaming inventory is hard to match.

How BFJ Digital runs Amazon DSP campaigns

We manage the full campaign lifecycle. From strategy and audience build to creative, optimisation, and reporting. Here is what that looks like in practice.

Why choose BFJ Digital for Amazon DSP?

We have hands-on experience running Amazon DSP campaigns across retail, healthcare, automotive, and property. We know what moves the needle and we will tell you honestly when something is not working.

Amazon DSP is not a set-and-forget channel. It rewards teams that understand the data, test consistently, and connect campaign performance back to real business outcomes. That is how we operate.

We have seen too many businesses waste budget on programmatic campaigns that were never properly integrated with their broader marketing activity. We make sure Amazon DSP works with your CRM, your Meta activity, and your sales funnel, not alongside them in isolation.

Other agencies vs BFJ Digital

Ready to make Amazon DSP work for your business?

We will audit your current digital advertising and show you where Amazon DSP fits. No jargon. No pressure. Just straight answers.

FAQ

Do I need to sell on Amazon to use Amazon DSP?

No. Amazon DSP is available to businesses that do not sell on Amazon at all. You can drive traffic to your own website or landing pages. The value is in Amazon’s audience data and exclusive channel inventory, not the Amazon storefront.

How much do I need to spend to get started?

Amazon DSP campaigns are typically more effective from a minimum of $5,000 to $10,000 per month in media spend. Below that threshold, the audience data does not have enough scale to optimise well. We will give you a clear recommendation based on your category and goals before you commit anything.

How is Amazon DSP different from Amazon Sponsored Ads?

Amazon Sponsored Ads (like Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands) are keyword-based pay-per-click ads that appear on Amazon search results pages. They work on pull intent, people already searching for something. Amazon DSP is programmatic and audience-based. It can reach people on Amazon and off Amazon, including on Prime Video, Twitch, IMDb, and Fire TV, targeting those who have not searched yet but show strong purchase signals. Both have a place in the mix, and we can advise on the right balance.

Can I run ads on Prime Video through Amazon DSP?

Yes. Prime Video ad inventory is available through Amazon DSP. You can run full-screen, non-skippable video ads before, during, or after streaming content. Amazon is also rolling out interactive and shoppable ad formats on Prime Video, though availability varies by market and account setup. Speak to your Amazon Ads representative or our team for the latest on eligibility and access.

How long before we see results?

Programmatic campaigns typically need four to six weeks to gather enough data for meaningful optimisation. We set realistic expectations upfront and share weekly performance snapshots so you can see progress as it happens.