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Amazon Video Ads: Where Each Format Runs and What It Costs to Start

Amazon video ads come in two very different shapes. Brand video ads autoplay in Amazon search results and on product pages, cost per click or per thousand viewable impressions, and have no minimum spend; streaming TV and online video ads run on Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV and partner sites, are bought programmatically on CPM, and as of October 2026 Amazon recommends a $10K minimum for a self-service campaign.

Here's the catch. Amazon's own pages say two things that look like they clash. The streaming TV page says the ads run "with no minimum spend requirement". The same page's cost answer says: "Self-service packages have a $10K recommended campaign minimum, and managed-service packages have a $50K campaign minimum." So there's no hard floor to get in, but Amazon's recommendation for self-service is $10K, and managed service starts at $50K.

Everything on this page comes from Amazon's US pages as of October 2026, so these are US prices and rules. UK, Canadian and Australian sellers will see local versions.

Every Amazon video format and where it runs

Amazon lists six video options. The two names that matter most for sellers are the brand video format in search, which Amazon files under its brand ad type, and the single-product video format, which sits under its product ad type.

Video optionWhere it runs
Streaming TV adsFull-screen and non-skippable, before, during or after streaming content on connected TV, desktop and mobile
Online video adsIn-stream and out-stream on desktop, mobile and tablet, across Amazon-owned devices, affiliated sites and premium publishers
Brand video adsAutoplay in Amazon.com search results and on product detail pages
Single-product video adsInteractive long-form video for one product (ASIN) across Amazon and select premium apps and websites
Display ads with videoAutoplay on the Amazon homepage and detail pages, IMDb, Amazon Publisher Services sites and apps, and other premium websites
Amazon LiveListed by Amazon as one of its video solutions

What each option costs to start, as of October 2026

Video optionCost model Amazon states
Brand video adsCPC or vCPM with no minimum spend; reserve share of voice needs a minimum spend commitment
Streaming TV adsProgrammatic CPM; $10K recommended self-service campaign minimum, $50K managed-service minimum
Online video adsProgrammatic CPM; the same $10K recommended and $50K managed minimums

Brand video ads give you three pricing models. Cost per click suits driving people to your pages. Cost per thousand viewable impressions, which Amazon shortens to vCPM, suits growing your share of impressions. And fixed upfront pricing with reserve share of voice secures the top-of-search spot for your branded keywords. Amazon says there's no minimum spend for the click or impression models, and you can adjust bids or pause campaigns at any time, but reserve share of voice needs a minimum spend commitment.

Who's allowed to buy each one

Brand ads in search, video included, are open to vendors, book vendors, KDP authors, agencies and professional sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry. Adult products, used products, refurbished products and products in closed categories aren't eligible.

Streaming TV is open to a wider group: sellers enrolled in Brand Registry, vendors (including book vendors and publishers), agencies, technology providers, and brands in the US whether or not they sell on Amazon. Across Amazon's video ads generally, brands, vendors, sellers and agencies can buy, and you don't need to sell products on Amazon to do it.

One naming change to know: Amazon's older TV ad product is now part of its streaming TV ads, listed as Streaming TV within Display, Video and Audio campaigns in Amazon Ads Agent.

How to set up a brand video campaign

  1. Register for Amazon Ads.
  2. Sign in, click Create campaign and choose the brand ad campaign type.
  3. Name the campaign and choose its settings and goal.
  4. Pick the ad format. If you need help making a video, use Video Generator in the Creative tools tab.
  5. Choose a landing page: your Brand Store or a product detail page.
  6. Set your targeting and bids, or use Amazon's recommendations.
  7. Upload your image or video creative.
  8. Submit the campaign. Amazon reviews it within 72 hours.

These ads can appear at the top of search results, the top of mobile search results and the top of the Amazon home page. New-to-brand metrics track first-time orders and sales within a 12-month look-back window. Amazon also says its AI-powered image generation is available at no cost for producing branded creatives.

Streaming placements and Amazon's reach claims

Amazon names these placements for streaming and online video: Prime Video, including live sports (the NFL in the US and a global NBA rights agreement); Twitch; Fire TV Channels, with over 900 short-form playlists and feeds; Amazon Publisher Direct, with direct header bidding integration across more than 100 streaming TV apps; IMDb; the Amazon store; Alexa; and Fire tablets. Supply differs by country.

The audience numbers are Amazon's own claims, with footnotes on its pages. It reports more than 200M monthly ad-supported reach for Amazon streaming TV in the US, and says eighty percent of ad-exposed streaming TV viewers browse on Amazon and seventy-seven percent buy on Amazon. It says nearly seventy percent of Twitch users are aged 18 to 34 (Twitch internal data, 2024), that it has more than 20K first-party audiences built on shopping and streaming signals, and that more than 200 million Fire TV devices have been sold worldwide. The Fire TV Feature Rotator is, in Amazon's words, the most prominent placement on the Fire TV home screen.

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Creative help and how results are measured

If you don't have a video, Amazon offers creative production and editing, either as added value with qualifying campaigns or as a fee-based service. Its first-party metrics include impressions, unique reach, video completion rate, detail page views, branded searches and new-to-brand, and it works with more than 20 third-party measurement providers.

Amazon also published an internal comparison (US, 1 January to 1 August 2024). Campaigns that used more than one video solution saw fifteen percent more incremental reach, a detail page view rate a hundred and forty-two percent higher and a purchase rate eighty-four percent higher than campaigns using one. That's Amazon measuring its own product, so read it as a pitch.

My verdict on Amazon video ads

If you're a Brand Registry seller, start with brand video ads in search. There's no minimum, you pay per click or per thousand viewable impressions, you can pause any time, and the ad sits where people are already shopping. I'd only look at streaming TV once a $10K self-service campaign wouldn't eat into your stock budget, because that's Amazon's own recommended starting point. If you're running a lot of campaigns and bids, here's my comparison of Amazon PPC software, and if you're still at the launch stage, start with how to start an Amazon FBA business.

Video ads get you seen on Amazon. Getting your brand found in Google and in AI answers is the work I do. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement, AI automation and GEO, which is about getting your business seen and cited in AI answers. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams, telecom companies and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.

Frequently asked questions

Do Amazon video ads have a minimum spend?

It depends on the format. Brand video ads in search have no minimum spend on click or impression pricing. For streaming and online video, as of October 2026 Amazon gives a $10K recommended self-service campaign minimum and a $50K managed-service minimum.

Where do Amazon video ads appear?

Brand video ads autoplay in Amazon search results and on product pages. Streaming TV ads run on Prime Video, Twitch, Fire TV Channels and partner TV apps, and online video ads run across Amazon-owned and affiliated sites and premium publishers.

Can I buy Amazon video ads if I don't sell on Amazon?

Yes, for streaming and online video. Amazon says businesses can buy video ads whether or not they sell products on Amazon.

Who can run brand video ads in Amazon search?

Vendors, book vendors, KDP authors, agencies and professional sellers enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry.

How long does Amazon take to review a video ad?

Amazon reviews a brand campaign within 72 hours of submission.

Published and maintained by the Lilach Bullock team, covering marketing, AI and business growth.
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