Microsoft introduced on October 7, 2025, that Amazon DSP will function the popular transition accomplice for Microsoft Make investments prospects, whereas Microsoft Monetize has joined Amazon’s Licensed Provide Trade program. The twin association addresses Microsoft’s February 28, 2026, deadline for shutting down its demand-side platform whereas creating a brand new provide path connection between the 2 firms’ programmatic infrastructure.

The announcement arrives 5 months after Microsoft’s Might 2025 determination to exit the demand-side platform enterprise. Advertisers who haven’t but migrated from Microsoft Make investments now have a chosen transition accomplice, although the timing suggests many customers probably started exploring various platforms months in the past. The four-month window till the February 2026 shutdown represents a comparatively compressed timeline for advertisers nonetheless working on the platform.

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The Microsoft Monetize integration represents a notable shift in supply-side platform relationships. The provision-side platform, initially constructed as AppNexus SSP earlier than AT&T rebranded it as Xandr Monetize in 2019, had not beforehand participated in Amazon’s Licensed Provide Trade program. Microsoft and Xandr maintained a ten-year relationship that included each buy-side and sell-side elements, however the Amazon DSP connection represents new programmatic infrastructure between the platforms.

Microsoft acquired Xandr from AT&T in June 2022, finishing a deal first introduced in December 2021. AT&T had bought AppNexus in 2018 for $1.6 billion. Microsoft announced in May 2025 it could discontinue Microsoft Make investments, citing a strategic shift towards “conversational, personalised, and agentic” promoting experiences.

Microsoft Monetize supplies entry to open web advert stock throughout over 100 nations the place Microsoft maintains video and native provide. The Licensed Provide Trade program designation supplies Amazon DSP advertisers with entry to this stock via most well-liked provide paths. The mixing consists of Amazon Shopper Insights packages that mix Amazon’s buying information with Microsoft Monetize stock.

The technical association differs from easy supply-side platform connections. Licensed Provide Trade contributors obtain what Amazon characterizes as “most well-liked” standing, which usually entails nearer technical integration, deal curation capabilities, and entry to Amazon’s first-party information indicators. Magnite became the first partner within the Licensed Provide Trade program in June 2024.

Amazon DSP’s enlargement of supply-side platform partnerships follows a sample established all through 2024 and 2025. The platform added Disney’s Real-Time Ad Exchange in June 2025, Spotify’s inventory in October 2025, and Netflix’s programmatic access starting within the fourth quarter of 2025. The Microsoft Monetize addition extends this provide footprint to Microsoft’s writer relationships.

For Microsoft Make investments customers who waited for official migration steerage or maintained platform operations in the course of the transition interval, Amazon DSP now serves because the designated various. Microsoft Make investments prospects throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific areas face platform transitions earlier than the discontinuation date. Amazon Advertisements supplies onboarding paths primarily based on advertiser measurement, company relationships, and repair necessities. Assist consists of account consultant engagement or advert tech activation accomplice applications with guided classes for marketing campaign setup and optimization.

Alan Moss, Vice President of World Advert Gross sales at Amazon Advertisements, said within the announcement: “We acknowledge that shifting to a brand new media shopping for system is a change for the migrating advertisers. Amazon Advertisements is dedicated to creating the transition seamless for Microsoft Make investments prospects.”

Lynne Kjolso, Vice President of World Partnerships and Retail Media at Microsoft Promoting, described the association as trade collaboration: “We consider that partnership fuels progress. By fostering an setting of collaboration, we’re delivering options that empower our prospects and strengthen the trade as an entire.”

The Microsoft Make investments platform had maintained its place as what trade observers characterised as one of many extra clear demand-side platforms in programmatic promoting. Brian O’Kelley, co-founder of AppNexus, positioned the corporate as a transparency advocate, revealing in 2017 that AppNexus charged a mean of 8.5% to sellers, decrease than many rivals. In December 2018, AppNexus reworked writer contracts to allow charge transparency for consumers, offering visibility into charges charged all through programmatic provide chains.

Microsoft’s decision to exit the DSP business created alternatives for different demand-side platforms. Jochen Schlosser, Chief Expertise Officer at Adform, characterised the European programmatic promoting market as price roughly €100 billion when discussing implications of the closure in Might 2025. The delay in naming a most well-liked migration accomplice suggests advertisers had flexibility to guage a number of alternate options in the course of the intervening months.

The timing of Microsoft’s strategic shift coincides with broader trade consolidation tendencies. Main know-how firms have more and more centered assets on their owned stock fairly than open net alternatives. Connected television has emerged as a growth driver as streaming platforms develop promoting capabilities.

Provide path optimization has turn out to be a essential consideration for advertisers managing programmatic campaigns. The follow entails evaluating supply-side platforms, advert exchanges, and writer connections to eradicate pointless know-how charges and latency. Match fee losses between platforms usually vary from 40% to 70%, making direct provide path connections useful for sustaining information constancy.

Amazon DSP reached 275 million month-to-month ad-supported prospects in america as of October 2024. The platform’s advertising revenue jumped 22% to $15.7 billion within the second quarter of 2025. The platform’s technical capabilities embrace goal-based bidding, Efficiency+ optimization utilizing machine studying, and modeled attribution for off-Amazon conversions. These options function throughout show, video, and related tv codecs.

Microsoft Monetize consists of an advert server, supply-side platform, and yield analytics in a unified platform. The system processes all stock and transaction varieties with demand channels. Publishers utilizing Microsoft Monetize handle programmatic monetization whereas Microsoft handles technical infrastructure for advert supply and optimization via real-time bidding processes.

The geographic scope encompasses markets with various programmatic promoting adoption. North American markets display the best programmatic adoption charges, with over 88% of US show advert spend flowing via programmatic channels. European markets face Normal Information Safety Regulation compliance necessities. Latin American and Asia-Pacific areas signify development alternatives with increasing digital promoting infrastructure.

For advertisers who remained on Microsoft Make investments pending official migration steerage, the transition entails technical necessities together with marketing campaign restructuring and interface adaptation. The four-month window between October 7, 2025, and February 28, 2026, supplies restricted time for platform transitions. The announcement didn’t specify whether or not migration assist extends past the February 2026 deadline or deal with advertisers who already migrated to competing platforms in the course of the five-month interim interval.

Amazon DSP supplies a number of onboarding paths. Enterprise advertisers usually obtain direct account consultant assist. Mid-market advertisers could entry ad tech activation partner programs. Self-service choices stay accessible for advertisers assembly minimal technical necessities. The platform supplies API entry for businesses and know-how companions requiring programmatic integration.

The Licensed Provide Trade program goals to create provide chain effectivity. The designation differs from commonplace supply-side platform connections via nearer technical integration and most well-liked entry to offers. Publishers utilizing Microsoft Monetize acquire further demand entry via Amazon DSP advertisers, whereas Amazon DSP customers entry Microsoft’s open web stock.

The programmatic promoting trade continues addressing transparency challenges. Research by the Integrated Society of British Advertisers discovered roughly 49% of promoting {dollars} by no means attain publishers on account of middleman charges. The “unknown delta” represents cash unaccounted for in provide chains, with demand-side platform spend usually 15% increased than what supply-side platforms file.

Amazon DSP holds Media Ranking Council accreditation for show begin-to-render impressions and click-through reporting. The accreditation applies to third-party change transactions throughout desktop, cell net, and cell in-app environments, plus Hearth TV inside related tv environments. The platform affords modeled attribution for off-Amazon conversions for US advertisers.

Microsoft’s promoting enterprise crossed $20 billion in annual income throughout all companies as of April 2025. Revenue growth exceeded expectations via third-party partnerships, fee enlargement, and quantity development throughout Edge and Bing. Microsoft initiatives search and information promoting income development within the excessive teenagers for upcoming quarters.

The announcement coincides with Microsoft’s broader strategic pivot towards AI-powered promoting options. Kya Sainsbury-Carter, Company Vice President at Microsoft Promoting, said in Might 2025 that the corporate would “solely focus our buy-side promoting know-how investments on the Microsoft Promoting Platform” beginning in 2026. The collection of Amazon DSP as most well-liked accomplice fairly than providing advertisers a number of equal choices signifies a negotiated association between the businesses.

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Timeline

Abstract

Who: Microsoft designated Amazon DSP as the popular transition accomplice for Microsoft Make investments prospects who haven’t but migrated. Microsoft Monetize joined Amazon’s Licensed Provide Trade program. Alan Moss, Vice President of World Advert Gross sales at Amazon Advertisements, and Lynne Kjolso, Vice President of World Partnerships and Retail Media at Microsoft Promoting, made the announcement.

What: The association creates two distinct integrations: Microsoft Make investments prospects who remained on the platform or adopted Microsoft’s official steerage obtain transition assist emigrate to Amazon DSP earlier than the February 2026 shutdown, whereas Microsoft Monetize (previously AppNexus SSP, previously Xandr Monetize) turns into a most well-liked supply-side platform in Amazon’s Licensed Provide Trade program, offering Amazon DSP advertisers entry to Microsoft’s open web stock with deal packages together with Amazon Shopper Insights integration.

When: Microsoft introduced the partnership on October 7, 2025, 5 months after saying the platform shutdown. Transitions start instantly for remaining Microsoft Make investments customers. Microsoft Make investments will discontinue utterly on February 28, 2026.

The place: The transition impacts Microsoft Make investments prospects throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific areas who haven’t but migrated to various platforms. Microsoft Monetize supplies open web advert stock globally throughout over 100 nations the place Microsoft maintains video and native provide.

Why: Microsoft’s exit from conventional demand-side platform operations displays the corporate’s strategic pivot towards AI-driven promoting experiences. The partnership supplies remaining Microsoft Make investments prospects with official migration steerage whereas increasing Amazon DSP’s person base and supply-side relationships. Microsoft Monetize’s inclusion within the Licensed Provide Trade program creates new provide path connections for Amazon DSP advertisers accessing open web stock mixed with Amazon’s first-party buying information. The five-month delay between shutdown announcement and most well-liked accomplice designation suggests advertisers had time to guage alternate options independently.


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