Amazon Showcases the Power of Premium Entertainment with Advertising at First-Ever Upfront Presentation

Amazon Showcases the Power of Premium Entertainment with Advertising at First-Ever Upfront Presentation

Amazon Showcases the Power of Premium Entertainment with Advertising at First-Ever Upfront Presentation

Amazon today presented its inaugural upfront to advertisers, showcasing the breadth and depth of Prime Video, the world’s largest ad-supported premium streaming service, with help from the most acclaimed talent in film, television, and sports. Stars from Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video Sports, Amazon Music, and Wondery appeared on stage including Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Will Ferrell, Roger Federer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tony Gonzalez, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aldis Hodge, Alicia Keys, Patton Oswalt, Keke Palmer, Alan Ritchson, Octavia Spencer, Charissa Thompson, Lola Tung, Hannah Waddingham, and Reese Witherspoon, as well as author and creator Jenny Han.

They were joined onstage by Paul Kotas, Senior Vice President of Amazon Ads; Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President and Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios; Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon MGM Studios; Jay Marine, Global Head of Sports and Ads, Prime Video; Alan Moss, Vice President of Global Ad Sales, Amazon Ads; Tanner Elton, Vice President of U.S. Ad Sales, Amazon Ads; and Sarah Iooss, Director of U.S. Agency Development and Twitch, Amazon Ads.

QUOTES FROM AMAZON UPFRONT PRESENTATION

Paul Kotas, Senior Vice President, Amazon Ads: “Today is all about bringing together the vast reach of Prime Video, with ad tech that leverages Amazon’s billions of customer signals. It’s about delivering relevant advertising in Prime Video to over 200 million customers. It’s about directly measuring outcomes from the very top of the funnel to the very bottom – for all brands, and not just those in our stores.”

Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President and Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios: “While streaming TV has been available for more than a decade – today is an entirely new chapter for us and the industry. I’m excited to be here to share how Amazon is reimagining the way viewers engage with stories they love, and brands engage with customers.”

Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President and Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios: “No other streaming service can reach the number of customers with premium entertainment that we can. And our audience is not just a number on a page. They're highly engaged viewers who are passionate about the deep and broad selection of programming we deliver including live sports, series, and films.”

Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President and Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios: “We’ve been building Prime Video into a one-stop entertainment destination, the first place people go to find the programming they love. And now with your partnership, we're building a one-stop advertising destination as well.”

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon MGM Studios: “Welcome to the next hundred years of Amazon MGM Studios. Only Amazon has the ability to dive into IP and spark new obsessions across books, podcasts, music, fashion, and games. No other studio offers creators so many ways to engage with an audience. And this has made Amazon MGM Studios the home for talent.”

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon MGM Studios: “We’re investing in global sensations that serve the biggest audiences and aim to entertain and captivate our viewers with bold original films and series.”

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon MGM Studios: “From movies to series, from MrBeast to Middle Earth, from roadhouse brawls to teenage dreams, Prime Video delivers the best-in-class entertainment to tens of millions of customers worldwide.”

Jay Marine, Global Head of Sports and Ads, Prime Video: We’re committed to bringing the very best in live sports to Prime customers. Because nothing drives more passion and excitement, and nothing drives bigger appointment viewing, than sports. And here at Amazon, we combine the huge reach and passionate fan base that you get with live sports, with the intelligence of consumer insights and ad innovations – in a way that no linear broadcaster can.  

Tanner Elton, Vice President of US Ad Sales, Amazon Ads: “Prime Video is reaching viewers that aren’t being reached by other streaming services and linear TV.”

Sarah Iooss, Director of US Agency Development and Twitch, Amazon Ads: “Our customer reach extends beyond Prime Video. If you look across our entire streaming TV offering, the Amazon Ads Streaming TV offering has an average monthly reach of more than 175 million customers.”

Alan Moss, Vice President of Global Ad Sales, Amazon Ads: “It doesn’t matter whether you sell on Amazon or not. With our clean rooms and other leading ad tech, we can help all advertisers connect awareness and brand objectives directly to sales outcomes and category growth.”

AMAZON MGM STUDIOS AND PRIME VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Elle: Prime Video has ordered the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Creator Laura Kitrell (High School, Insecure) is set as showrunner, with Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Lauren Kisilevsky, and Marc Platt serving as executive producers. Read the full press release here.

2.                   Untitled Road House sequel: Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that a Road House sequel is in the works with Jake Gyllenhaal reprising his role as Dalton. Plot details are being kept under wraps for the sequel. The studio also announced that Road House has attracted nearly 80 million worldwide viewers to date. 

3.                   Noir: MGM+ and Prime Video have ordered Noir, a live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir. Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage is set to star in the series. Emmy Award-winning director Harry Bradbeer is set to direct and executive produce the first two episodes. Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Uziel and Lightfoot developed the series with the Academy Award-winning team behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal, who will also serve as executive producers. Read the full press release here.

4.                   Tomb Raider: Prime Video has ordered a Tomb Raider series with Phoebe Waller-Bridge set as writer and executive producer. The series is based on the iconic Tomb Raider video game franchise, which follows the adventures of world-famous archaeologist and adventurer Lara Croft. The project comes as part of a deal between Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios, originating through dj2’s first-look deal with the studio, to develop additional Tomb Raider stories into series and films. Tomb Raider will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Read the full press release here.

5.                   Mr. & Mrs. Smith: The critically acclaimed television series Mr. & Mrs. Smith has been renewed for a second season. From co-creators and executive producers Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane, the series is a reimagining of the 2005 film. Read the full press release here.

6.                   Cross: Cross has been renewed for a second season. From Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, Cross is a complex, twisted, pulse-pounding thriller created by Ben Watkins, based upon the characters from James Patterson’s best-selling Alex Cross book series. Joining the Season Two cast are Wes Chatham, Matthew Lillard, and Jeanine Mason. The first season of Cross will premiere later this year exclusively on Prime Video. Read the full press release here.

7.                   The Boys: The Emmy-winning hit drama series The Boys, has been ordered for a fifth season. The Boys will premiere its diabolical fourth season on June 13, 2024, with three episodes, followed by a new episode each week, ending with the epic season finale on Thursday, July 18. Read the full press release here.

8.                   Pop Culture Jeopardy! Prime Video has ordered Pop Culture Jeopardy! from Sony Pictures Television. This collaboration marks the first time that the SPT Game Show Division will expand the Jeopardy! franchise into streaming, creating a new extension series exclusively for Prime Video’s global audience. Read the full press release here.

9.                   The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Attendees were transported back to Middle-earth with a first look at the upcoming second season of the hit series. The series’ first season was an unprecedented global success and one of the top original series for Prime Video, viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide, and driving more Prime sign-ups worldwide during its launch window than any other previous content to date. Teaser available here.

10.               Wish List Games, Buy it Now, Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? Prime Video announced it has a new unscripted series Buy It Now hosted by JB Smoove on the way, joining the holiday event Wish List Games hosted by Nick Cannon. Prime Video also revealed the celebrity classmates set to appear on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? hosted by three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce. Read the full press release here.

11.               The 1% Club: Prime Video debuted the trailer and key art for the service’s first-ever game show, The 1% Club, hosted by award-winning comedian and actor Patton Oswalt (The Goldbergs, A.P. Bio, Ratatouille). The unique and compelling show will test the nation’s intelligence through a series of questions backed by scientific surveys. New episodes of The 1% Club will be available Mondays on Fox, beginning June 3, and next-day on Prime Video. Prime customers will get an exclusive early look at the premiere episode starting May 23. Teaser available here.

12.               You’re Cordially Invited: The teaser trailer and first look at Prime Video’s upcoming comedy film, starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, were unveiled. Teaser available here.

13.               The Summer I Turned Pretty: Season Three of the generation-defining phenomenon from writer, creator, and showrunner Jenny Han will debut in Summer 2025 and be supersized at 11 episodes.

14.               Fallout: The hit series has been viewed by a global audience of nearly 80 million since its debut April 10. Fallout is a collaboration with Bethesda Games, Kilter Films’ Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy, and creators Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner.

15.               The Idea of You: Directed by Michael Showalter and starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, the film has attracted nearly 50 million worldwide viewers on Prime Video over its first two weekends, becoming Amazon MGM Studios’ most-watched romantic comedy debut ever. 

PRIME VIDEO SPORTS

16.               Thursday Night Football: Prime Video announced it will kick off the 2024-25 season of Thursday Night Football with a huge AFC rivalry match-up, as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills visit Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, Sept. 12. Read the full press release here.

17.               NASCAR: Prime Video announced it will drop the green flag May 25, 2025, with the iconic night race, the Coca-Cola 600, as its first exclusive NASCAR Cup Series race, live from Charlotte Motor Speedway. Read the full press release here.

18.               Federer: 12 Final Days: Prime Video announced a June 20 premiere date and released a teaser trailer for Federer: Twelve Final Days, a feature-length documentary chronicling the final 12 days of Roger Federer’s professional tennis career. Read the full press release here.

19.               Sports documentaries: Prime Video greenlit four new sports documentaries, including a four-part documentary on NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Sr.; a four-part series chronicling the history of the Madden video game franchise; an anthology series about the most epic Game 7s throughout sports history; and a true-crime documentary about ChiefsAholic, the notorious Kansas City Chiefs superfan and serial bank robber. Read the full press release here.

AMAZON MUSIC

1. Alicia Keys joined Amazon Music in a surprise performance of her hit songs to open the presentation. Keys is a 16-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, musician, philanthropist and entrepreneur/founder of Keys Soulcare, sold on Amazon. She is also the creator and innovative mind behind the 13-time Tony nominated new Broadway musical, Hell’s Kitchen with music and lyrics by Keys.

2.                   Amazon Music announced Amazon Music Live, its concert series airing after Thursday Night Football, will return for its third season this fall. The livestream event has become a massive stage for artists to share culture-defining new music after the game.

3.                   Fans are increasingly coming to Prime Video and Twitch to watch Amazon Music Live. Viewership was up by 313% compared to its first season, with the first three episodes exceeding the total viewership numbers for Season 1.

TWITCH

1.            In addition, Amazon Ads is currently creating The Glitch, a galaxy of brand-customized, playable worlds distributed in Fortnite.

2.                   The Glitch is being built specifically for our gaming communities on Twitch.

3.                   Fortnite is among the top games on Twitch; it is one of the most frequently requested games brands seek to partner on.

Prime Video has a monthly ad-supported reach of 200M+ worldwide and 115M+ in the United States.

Amazon Ads provides turnkey solutions and impactful sponsorships to help advertisers reach scaled audiences wherever they’re streaming, and access billions of signals to help brands to continually improve their ad performance and campaign strategy. They can appear on Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, Twitch, live sports, Fire TV Channels, and top third-party TV publishers and broadcasters.