Amazon Sells Out Black Friday NFL Game Ads

Amazon’s Black Friday Game may be weeks away, but the company is already doing its touchdown dance.

Ad inventory for Amazon’s first Black Friday NFL game, a matchup between the Dolphins and the Jets, is sold out, the company has confirmed to Adweek. In addition, the Thursday Night Football games surrounding Black Friday, on 11/16 and 11/30, have also sold out ad inventory.

Danielle Carney, head of NFL ad sales for Amazon, told Adweek the news demonstrates “the overall strength and demand for Prime Video’s NFL programming.” The company also noted the sellouts were the result of strong interest during the upfront market.

“We’re working with brand partners to promote exclusive Black Friday deals running on Amazon,” Carney said. “Viewers will see retail deals through interactive video ads that lead to brand deals on Amazon and custom brand landing pages.”

Amazon previously told Adweek that Columbia Sportswear, Bose and Carnival Cruises would be among the advertisers during its Black Friday NFL telecast, with twice as many interactive video ads airing as compared to a typical Thursday Night Football game.

Interactive video ads were one of Amazon’s innovations for its second season of Thursday Night Football, with the format already resulting in significant viewer engagement, according to the company.

During the game, brands will utilize audience-based creative to reach their audiences with Amazon’s first-party shopping and entertainment signals, and the company will work with partners on ad placement to ensure viewers receive relevant messaging.

“In many ways, Black Friday is the ‘Super Bowl’ for brands, and we’re giving them new opportunities to reach customers at scale with an unprecedented NFL matchup,” Carney said.

Moving forward, Carney said the company is viewing the upcoming game as a learning opportunity, with the company looking to continue to builds its Black Friday game offering and incorporate feedback from partners.

“It’s Year 1, but we’re building Prime Video’s Black Friday Football game into a new NFL tentpole for brands and viewers,” Carney said.