Amazon just made a major move to bring local TV dollars into the streaming era, and it’s doing it a national scale.
At its UnBoxed event, Amazon Ads unveiled a new feature that allows advertisers to run location-based interactive video ads on Prime Video. The format lets brands tailor national campaigns with geographic specificity, down to ZIP codes, without producing multiple versions of the creative. That unlocks thousands of variations from a single video ad.
What makes this even more significant is how it levels the playing field. Local businesses, traditionally loyal to linear TV and radio, can now access Prime Video’s 300 million monthly ad-supported viewers with the same precision and immediacy they’re used to from local buys, but within a premium streaming environment. Whether it’s a car dealership, insurance agent, or restaurant chain, advertisers can now deliver real-time, localized CTAs like “Send to Phone” or “Sign Up Today,” with customized landing pages based on the viewer’s actual location.
Jenn Donohue, Amazon Ads’ director of local ad sales, framed the move as an effort to democratize access to streaming inventory: “We’re making it easier for brands to reflect the communities they serve.”
Amazon is positioning this feature not just as a creative solution but as a performance play. It’s a hybrid model that combines the scale of TV with the trackability of digital. Amazon DSP users can manage campaigns directly, tweaking both messaging and click-through URLs to match local context.
It’s also the latest expansion of Amazon’s broader local advertising strategy. Features like Geographic Insights and Activation (GIA), which helped Purina drive a 300 per cent increase in new-to-brand page views, demonstrate Amazon’s intent to build a full-funnel solution for regional performance.
For broadcasters, this is a warning shot. The local ad dollars that once sustained traditional TV are increasingly up for grabs. Amazon’s latest ad format doesn’t just compete. It offers a more scalable, measurable, and relevant experience. And it might be the clearest signal yet that the fight for local TV budgets has officially shifted to streaming.
