Amazon unveils 17 million monthly Prime Video ad reach in first German upfront

Amazon held its first advertising upfront event in Germany on June 4, 2025, in Cologne, announcing that Prime Video maintains an average monthly ad-supported reach of more than 17 million customers in the German market. The figure represents a significant milestone for Amazon's streaming advertising business in Europe's largest economy.

According to Nicole Metz, Regional Content Marketing Manager for Germany, the event brought together marketing leaders, entertainment executives, and technology professionals alongside Prime Video talent and digital creators. The gathering demonstrated Amazon's commitment to expanding its advertising infrastructure in the German marketplace through new ad formats and enhanced targeting capabilities.

The 17 million monthly viewer metric positions Prime Video as a major player in Germany's streaming advertising landscape. According to PPC Land, streaming services have experienced substantial growth across European markets, with 77% of Germans now using video streaming services weekly. This represents a 7 percentage point year-over-year increase, indicating accelerated adoption of streaming platforms over traditional television.

Amazon's internal data revealed that 95% of Prime Video viewers in Germany made purchases on Amazon within the previous three months. These viewers spend 75% more than the average Amazon customer, demonstrating the commercial value of the streaming platform's advertising inventory. The purchasing behavior data supports Amazon's strategy of integrating commerce signals with entertainment content to create targeted advertising opportunities.

The event showcased several prominent German entertainment personalities. Anke Engelke and Bastian Pastewka, stars of Prime Video original series "Perfekt Verpasst" and film "Fabian und die mörderische Hochzeit" respectively, appeared at the upfront. Alicia von Rittberg and Kostja Ullmann from the upcoming Prime Video original series "Miss Sophie – Same Procedure As Every Year" also participated.

Cast members from the internationally successful Prime Video original series "Maxton Hall – Die Welt zwischen uns" attended the event. Sports personalities included four-time UEFA Women's Champions League winner Josephine Henning and FIFA World Cup champion Benedikt Höwedes. The diverse talent roster reflects Amazon's content strategy spanning entertainment, sports, and local productions.

Amazon announced that interactive video ads and pause ads will launch in Germany in September 2025. These formats allow audiences to shop, learn more, or add items to their cart without leaving the streaming experience. The interactive capabilities respond to voice commands, clicks, or QR codes, enabling direct connections between content consumption and purchase actions.

The technology addresses a key challenge in streaming advertising: bridging the gap between awareness and action. Traditional video advertising often requires viewers to remember brands and seek them out later. Amazon's interactive formats attempt to eliminate this friction by enabling immediate response mechanisms within the streaming environment.

The company demonstrated a successful campaign example featuring fashion house Yves Saint Laurent's collaboration with Twitch streamer HoneyPuu. The partnership launched Black Opium Le Parfum Glitter through an interactive livestream where HoneyPuu integrated the fragrance authentically into her content. The campaign achieved a 28% boost in brand favorability and 15% increase in purchase intent, particularly among beauty-focused adult Generation Z audiences.

This case study illustrates Amazon's broader strategy of connecting traditional advertising with digital creator content. Twitch has become a significant platform for authentic brand integration, with gaming and entertainment content showing particularly strong engagement rates when combined with targeted advertising.

Amazon Marketing Cloud powered AEG's full-funnel campaign, which translated digital advertising into measurable offline sales increases. The campaign achieved increased revenue on Amazon, clear uplift in purchase intent, and impressive return on ad spend for offline sales. The results demonstrate Amazon's ability to connect digital advertising exposure with real-world purchasing behavior across multiple channels.

The measurement capabilities represent a significant advantage for advertisers seeking accountability across their media investments. According to Amazon's data, 80% of Amazon Ads customers in Europe who invested in Prime Video ads within the first six months after launch booked additional campaigns in the following half-year period. This retention rate suggests strong advertiser satisfaction with streaming advertising performance.

The German upfront occurs amid significant changes in Amazon's broader advertising strategy. Amazon completely withdrew from Google Shopping advertising across global markets between July 21-23, 2025, before resuming campaigns in international markets while maintaining withdrawal from the United States. The strategic experiment demonstrates Amazon's confidence in alternative customer acquisition channels, including its own streaming advertising inventory.

Amazon's streaming advertising expansion coincides with broader industry developments. Netflix announced availability through Amazon DSP starting Q4 2025, providing advertisers with access to premium streaming inventory across multiple platforms through Amazon's demand-side platform. The partnership covers 11 international markets including Germany, indicating Amazon's growing role as an advertising technology provider beyond its own media properties.

The German market represents a crucial testing ground for Amazon's advertising innovations. Nielsen launched Connected TV tracking capabilities in Germany beginning August 2025, covering major platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube. The measurement infrastructure supports advertiser demand for cross-platform competitive intelligence and performance optimization.

European streaming data reveals concentrated viewing patterns that create both challenges and opportunities for advertisers. According to research from the European Audiovisual Observatory, less than 0.1% of available content accounts for approximately 14% of total viewing time across major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video. This concentration suggests that premium advertising placements within popular content can achieve disproportionate reach.

Amazon's advertising technology infrastructure continues expanding through partnerships and acquisitions. Disney inventory became available through Amazon DSP in June 2025, providing access to Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu platforms. These integrations position Amazon DSP as a comprehensive solution for streaming television advertising across multiple premium content providers.

The company's programmatic guaranteed deals for Prime Video, launched in August 2024, provide advertisers with assured inventory delivery while maintaining programmatic efficiency benefits. The offering includes Run of Service deals, contextual targeting based on content genres, and audience-based campaigns using Amazon's first-party data segments.

Amazon actor Aldis Hodge discussed his role in "Cross," the Prime Video thriller series where he plays detective Alex Cross, emphasizing the platform's investment in original content production. The programming strategy supports advertising inventory quality by ensuring consistent content flow and audience engagement across different content categories.

The first Amazon Ads Upfront in Germany signals the company's long-term commitment to the European advertising market. Amazon reported $15.7 billion in advertising services revenue for Q2 2025, representing 22% growth compared to the previous year. The German upfront positions Amazon to capture additional market share during the crucial Q4 advertising period when holiday campaigns typically drive increased spending.

Amazon's approach emphasizes the integration of entertainment content with commerce capabilities. The strategy leverages the company's unique position as both a major e-commerce platform and streaming content provider. This dual role enables advertising solutions that connect content consumption with purchase behavior, creating measurable business outcomes for advertisers.

The event's timing coincides with traditional television's declining influence in Germany. Daily viewership of public broadcasters ARD and ZDF dropped to 39%, with weekly viewership at 73%, indicating substantial erosion of linear television's dominance. This shift creates opportunities for streaming platforms to capture advertising budgets previously allocated to traditional media.

Amazon's German upfront represents a strategic milestone in the company's European expansion. The 17 million monthly viewer metric provides a foundation for advertiser confidence while new interactive formats promise enhanced engagement capabilities. The combination of content investment, technology development, and measurement infrastructure positions Amazon as a significant force in Germany's advertising landscape.

Timeline

• June 4, 2025: Amazon holds first German Ads Upfront in Cologne, announcing 17 million monthly Prime Video ad-supported reach
• July 21-23, 2025: Amazon completely removes all Google Shopping ads globally
• August 4, 2024: Amazon introduces guaranteed deals for Prime Video ads across European markets including Germany
• August 6, 2024: Amazon enhances streaming TV ad transparency with show title reports
• August 25, 2025: Amazon resumes Google Shopping advertising after month-long test in international markets
• September 2025: Interactive video ads and pause ads launch in Germany
• June 17, 2025: Disney inventory becomes available on Amazon DSP
• September 10, 2025: Netflix becomes available in Amazon DSP starting Q4 2025

Summary

Who: Amazon Ads held its inaugural German upfront featuring marketing leaders, entertainment executives, Prime Video talent including Anke Engelke, Bastian Pastewka, and sports personalities like Josephine Henning and Benedikt Höwedes.

What: Amazon announced Prime Video's 17 million monthly ad-supported reach in Germany, revealing that 95% of viewers purchase on Amazon and spend 75% more than average customers, while unveiling interactive ad formats launching September 2025.

When: The first German Amazon Ads Upfront occurred on June 4, 2025, in Cologne, with interactive advertising formats scheduled for September 2025 launch.

Where: The event took place in Cologne, Germany, targeting the country's 17 million monthly Prime Video viewers and the broader European advertising market.

Why: Amazon aims to establish Germany as a key market for streaming advertising, leveraging the declining traditional TV viewership and growing streaming adoption to capture advertising budgets through enhanced targeting and interactive capabilities.