Amazon Upfront 2024 revealed a mix of new series, films, and sports content for Prime Video, including the series "Elle" and a Roger Federer documentary. The event highlighted Amazon's strategy to enhance Prime subscriptions and unique ad placements, leveraging social media platforms like Twitch and innovative partnerships with the National Women's Soccer League and the WNBA.

Amazon Ads held this upfront event to showcase their investment in entertainment and advertising innovations. The company emphasized its ad tech capabilities for measuring success and delivering content. Amazon has made significant investments in entertainment content, including series like "Fallout," "Reacher," and "Summer I Turned Pretty," and movies featuring A-list stars. This expansion is intended to drive Prime subscriptions and leverage unique ad placements across its platform.

The event featured appearances from stars like Alicia Keys, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dale Earnhart, Roger Federer, highlighting Amazon's emphasis on content quality. Amazon's ads platform is open to all, regardless of company size or industry, and advertisers don't need to sell on Amazon to use its advertising solutions.

Everything you need to know about the Amazon Upfront 2024.

Amazon Upfront 2024 announced several new series, films, and sports content for Prime Video. Highlights include the series Elle, a documentary on Roger Federer, and the addition of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as an on-air analyst, showcasing Amazon's expansive content strategy to boost Prime subscriptions and ad placements.

Here are the key updates:

• The series Elle, based on Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, was announced.
• Alan Moss, Vice President of Global Ad Sales, highlighted Amazon's unique position to cater to communities like gaming on Twitch and live concerts through Amazon Music Live.
• Amazon engages with 175 million users across its streaming TV offerings.
• A documentary on Roger Federer, Federer: Twelve Final Days, premieres on June 20.
• Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was announced as the newest on-air analyst and will executive produce a documentary about his father.
• Prime Video will stream NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 in 2025.
• Amazon partners with the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the WNBA.
• The third season of Thursday Night Football returns on September 12.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season One was Prime Video's most-watched premiere with over 100 million viewers. Season Two debuts on August 29.
• The series The Boys has been picked up for a fifth season.
• YouTube sensation MrBeast is working on the unscripted series, Beast Games.
• The first game show, The 1% Club, launches next week.
• The series Cross, based on the Alex Cross books, premieres this fall, with Season Two in the works.
• The film Man with a Bag, a family holiday comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, releases in 2025.
• The cult classic Road House is set for a sequel.
• The series Mr. & Mrs. Smith has been picked up for a second season.
• The series Tomb Raider has been ordered from Emmy-Award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
• Amazon MGM Studios offers a library of series and films, including Oppenheimer, Gladiator 2, Challengers, and American Fiction.
• Amazon's original hits Fallout and The Idea of You have been viewed by a global audience of 80 million and 50 million respectively.
• Alicia Keys, founder of Keys Soulcare, performed a high-energy mashup of her hits.

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Amazon Advertising Opportunities

Amazon's streaming TV offering reaches 175 million users, making it a vital platform for advertisers. Its audience targeting capabilities, paired with performance tracking through tools like the Amazon Marketing Cloud, provide powerful insights and engagement opportunities. Alan Moss, VP of Global Ad Sales, summarized Amazon's advertising strategy as "Full-funnel advertising at scale for everyone."

Before the Upfronts, Amazon unveiled new ad formats, including shoppable carousel ads and interactive pause & trivia ads, to enhance engagement and conversion rates. This innovation emphasizes Amazon's commitment to making ads more interactive and shoppable.

"Expert Perspective"

From Joe Shelerud

Amazon Ads showcased a star-studded event at this year's Upfronts. The key takeaways include:

• Amazon is significantly investing in its content, such as series (Fallout, Reacher, Summer I Turned Pretty), movies (You’re Cordially Invited), live sports (NFL, WNBA, soccer, NASCAR), and live concerts. The variety and volume of content continue to grow under Amazon.

• The major reason for this content expansion is not only to boost Prime subscriptions but also to increase the number of unique ad placements on Amazon's platform as viewership rises.

• Amazon's entire streaming TV offering engages with 175 million users.

• The reach of Amazon's advertising content makes it essential for any large advertiser. However, what sets Amazon Ads apart is their audience targeting capabilities and performance tracking through tools like the Amazon Marketing Cloud.

• Large or small advertisers don't need to sell on Amazon. Amazon clarified that their ads platform is open to all.

• The Hollywood lineup presented (Alicia Keys, Jake Gyllenhaal, Alan Ritchson, Reese Witherspoon, Will Ferrell, Hannah Waddingham, Octavia Spencer, Keke Palmer, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Roger Federer, and others) emphasizes Amazon's focus on their content and specifically, running video ads on the platform.

The presentation concluded with a statement from the VP of Global Ad Sales, Alan Moss, encapsulating Amazon's advertising strategy - “Full-funnel advertising at scale for everyone.”

From Navah Hopkins

• As a participant, Navah Hopking shared how Amazon's Upfront event plans to increase his investment in Amazon video from $3-4 million to $45 million annually. He praised Amazon's campaign control and data access, which also supports restricted industries such as animal pharmaceuticals.
• 47% of Amazon Prime viewers use Prime as their exclusive streaming service. Amazon's video offering for advertisers is promising, especially given the company's investment in its Marketing cloud for enriched audience targeting.
• Amazon and Twitch are collaborating with Fortnight to create in-game and standalone games for products, eliminating the need for obtrusive ads. Black Friday Football is a significant opportunity, considering Amazon's 200 million monthly viewers, of which 115 million are based in the US. Amazon's approach to content is innovative. It allows users to "dive into IPs and create new obsessions." Prime content is diverse and personalized, catering to various viewer preferences.

The event was a significant moment for the Amazon Ads team, with congratulations extended to Carly Zipp Garbis, Frances Quattrocki, and the entire event team.