Amazon ad business at $68.6B run rate

Amazon enters its April 29 earnings report with a $68.63 billion advertising business, built from seller ads, display campaigns, video spots, and streaming inventory. (marketplacepulse.com) (ir.aboutamazon.com) Amazon reported $21.32 billion in advertising services revenue for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025, up 23% from $17.29 billion a year earlier. Full-year advertising services revenue rose 22% to $68.63 billion. (marketplacepulse.com) (ir.aboutamazon.com) That growth ran faster than Amazon’s broader business. Total 2025 net sales increased 12% to $716.9 billion, while fourth-quarter companywide sales increased 14% to $213.4 billion. (ir.aboutamazon.com) Amazon does not break out ad operating profit, but advertising sits inside a company that posted $80.0 billion in operating income in 2025, up from $68.6 billion in 2024. Analysts and ad trade publications have long treated Amazon ads as one of the company’s higher-margin businesses because it sells placement and audience access rather than shipping boxes. (ir.aboutamazon.com) (adexchanger.com) The ad business started as sponsored listings on Amazon’s marketplace, where brands pay to appear higher in shopping results. It now stretches across Prime Video, Twitch, connected television, audio, and Amazon’s own demand-side buying tools. (marketplacepulse.com) (advertising.amazon.com) Prime Video has become the clearest sign of that expansion. In his 2025 shareholder letter, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said Amazon’s advertising offerings continue to grow, while Prime Video and other newer businesses are improving their economics. (aboutamazon.com) Live sports are giving Amazon more premium ad inventory to sell. Prime Video’s 2025 season of Thursday Night Football averaged 15.33 million viewers across 15 games, up 16% from the 2024 season, according to Amazon. (press.amazonmgmstudios.com) (advertising.amazon.com) Amazon has also used its upfront presentations to tell advertisers that sports, entertainment, and shopping data can be bought together in one system. Its 2025 upfront pitch added more emphasis on National Basketball Association and NASCAR inventory alongside Prime Video originals. (advertising.amazon.com) (deadline.com) The comparison with recent years shows how quickly the business has scaled. Amazon’s advertising services revenue was $56.22 billion in 2024 and $46.9 billion in 2023, putting 2025 nearly 46% above the 2023 level. (marketplacepulse.com) (campaignlive.com) Wall Street will get the next read on April 29, when Amazon reports first-quarter 2026 results after the close. Consensus estimates compiled by market data providers put quarterly advertising revenue near $16.8 billion. (marketbeat.com) (ig.com) If Amazon keeps posting ad growth near the low-20% range, the business will remain one of the company’s fastest-growing large segments heading into another year of heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure, logistics, and streaming rights. (ir.aboutamazon.com) (aboutamazon.com)