Amazon DSP wants to be your one-stop shop for TV media buying. (We already buy our diapers from you, Amazon, pump the brakes! Joking!)
That’s based on a scoop by Adweek about the launch of Complete TV, a new feature within Amazon DSP designed to streamline TV ad buying by automating the management of upfront and scatter TV budgets. According to the report, Complete TV uses AI to track upfront commitment progress and determine the best platforms for allocating scatter budget spending. It connects directly with publishers through Amazon Publisher Direct.
Amazon has beta tested the tool, and it will be available for advertisers in the 2025-2026 upfront season. To drive adoption, Amazon is offering very low fees (hey, we’ve sort of written about something similar recently).
Why This Matters:
Besides being from Amazon, Complete TV is notable for a few reasons. First, it provides a unified platform for managing both linear and streaming TV ad buys, cutting down on the fragmentation that comes with using multiple platforms, solutions, and vendors. An all-in-one tool makes the process easier, and easy is good for buyers.
Relatedly, by integrating upfront and scatter market management, Complete TV streamlines ad-buying even more. Add AI-powered automation into the mix, and Amazon is making a strong ease-of-use play that could be compelling for advertisers.
Adweek also highlights how this move positions Amazon to compete more aggressively in TV with The Trade Desk and Google.
Experts React:
Adweek’s report includes some quotes from Kelly MacLean, VP of Amazon DSP—definitely worth a read. Here’s a key line:
“Our goal is to act as a neutral party because we know that these agreements are already transacted between advertisers and publishers—we just want to facilitate that.”
Our Take:
Cool announcement, but this line from Adweek could give buyers pause: “Amazon’s AI identifies the best platforms to spend dollars, including its own Prime Video platform as well as other premium publishers.” You have to imagine TTD is loving that.
A potentially concerning aspect of Amazon’s DSP—or its ad business in general—is how it could seem like it’s prioritizing its own inventory. Amazon has a perceived track record in e-commerce of copying competitors’ products and pushing its own private-label versions. That same self-preferencing can raise questions when applied to ad inventory, especially when Amazon controls both the marketplace and the buying tools.
It’s a perception challenge for Amazon, but one that hasn’t slowed them down in advancing their DSP and driving adoption for it.
