Amazon’s advertising business generated $17.7 billion in Q3 2025, achieving 24% year-over-year growth and surpassing analyst expectations. The company announced significant demand-side platform expansion integrating major entertainment providers, marking a strategic consolidation in digital advertising infrastructure.[1][2][3]
Why Amazon’s Advertising Business Matters for Digital Markets
Amazon now competes directly with Google and Meta in digital advertising through its unified platform approach. The company attracts advertisers seeking audience access across retail, streaming, and entertainment channels simultaneously.[2][3][1]
Primary growth drivers include:
- Announced DSP partnerships with Netflix, Spotify, Roku, and SiriusXM[4][5][1]
- Prime Video live sports content including NBA and NFL programming[6][2]
- Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million active customers[7][1]
- Generative AI tools for 1.3 million independent sellers[8][1]
- Cost efficiency advantages documented across industry analyses[9][2]
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Amazon Announces Demand-Side Platform Now Fully Featured Across Entertainment Channels
Amazon announced its DSP expansion with Netflix, Spotify, Roku, and SiriusXM. CEO Andy Jassy announced the platform as “fully featured” after resolving technical limitations over 20 months. Advertisers now manage cross-channel campaigns through unified interface architecture.[5][1][2][4]
Advertiser adoption reflects confidence in Amazon’s announced consolidation strategy. Campaign spending on Amazon DSP increased 12% to 45% throughout 2025. Advertising costs run 10% of intended spend, compared to 15% at Google and 20% at The Trade Desk. Amazon announced absorption of Microsoft’s demand-side platform, with sunset by March 2026.[1][2][9]
Rufus AI Shopping Assistant Demonstrates Substantial Consumer Traction
Rufus achieved significant adoption reaching 250 million active customers in 2025. The tool shows strong engagement metrics entering the holiday season.[10][2][7][1]
| Metric | Q3 2025 Performance |
|---|---|
| Monthly user growth | 140% year-over-year[1][7] |
| Total interactions growth | 210% year-over-year[1][7] |
| Purchase likelihood increase | 60% higher than non-users[1][7] |
| Projected incremental sales | $10 billion annualized[1][7] |
Generative AI interfaces are becoming genuine commerce enablers, not experimental features.[2][1]
AWS Accelerates Growth While Driving Profitability
Amazon Web Services recorded $33 billion in Q3 revenue, marking 20.2% year-over-year growth. This represents the fastest growth in 11 quarters. AWS generates approximately 70% of Amazon’s operating income despite representing 18% of revenue.[11][1][2]
Performance obligations exceeded $200 billion, indicating strong multi-year customer commitments. Primary demand driver remains AI infrastructure and generative AI workloads across enterprises.[11][1][2]
Capital Expenditure Reaches $125 Billion Amid AI Infrastructure Competition
Amazon raised 2025 capex guidance to $125 billion, up $7 billion from $118 billion. Executives signaled 2026 spending will likely increase further.[12][1][2]
Investment priorities include:
- Cloud infrastructure expansion for AI workloads[1][2]
- Project Rainier: 500,000 Trainium2 chips scaling to 1 million by year-end[13][1]
- Data center construction for AWS capacity[2][1]
- Fulfillment center modernization and automation[1][2]
Amazon adds more than 1 gigawatt of power capacity in Q4 2025 alone.[2][1]
