Structurally, the deal lets each firm draw on the strengths of the other.
Amazon’s DSP has long benefited from its first-party shopping and streaming data, but this integration enhances its appeal as a scaled CTV buying solution.
For Roku, the company can now tout access to Amazon’s data as another reason for marketers to buy ads across its platform, according to Harry Browne, head of video innovation at Tinuiti.
“Retail media has grown, and now commerce media is growing,” Browne said. “Roku is sitting on something like half the TVs in the U.S., and now they’ve partnered with the premier retail media network. You’re combining audience, inventory, and data—that’s a powerful opportunity.”
The partnership also entails a strategic shift for Roku, which has pulled back from operating its own DSP, instead favoring partnerships with external demand sources, particularly The Trade Desk.
But when The Trade Desk launched its own CTV OS, Ventura, last fall, industry observers saw the move as a potential threat to Roku, according to Browne. With this partnership, Roku solidifies its position in the ecosystem.
“When The Trade Desk launched Ventura, a lot of people saw that as a shot across the bow to the Roku business,” Browne said. “Here it is partnering with a different DSP.”
The Trade Desk and Amazon did not respond to a request for comment on the relationship. Roku did not respond on the record.
While the partnership may not yet solve all challenges in CTV advertising—such as off-Amazon attribution or true multi-retailer performance—it marks a significant step toward a more streamlined, performance-driven TV ad ecosystem.
“It solves who saw what, where,” said Browne. “And if your KPI is a sale on Amazon, now you can measure that better than ever before.”
