Amazon Ads and Global, the UK-based media and entertainment group, announced a programmatic integration April 23, 2026, that connects Amazon’s demand-side platform with Global’s digital ad exchange, giving advertisers access to the country’s largest commercial radio brands including Heart, Capital, and Smooth.
The partnership integrates Amazon DSP directly with DAX, Global’s programmatic audio exchange, enabling advertisers to reach audiences across online, mobile, the Global Player app, and smart speakers including Alexa. The integration combines Amazon’s shopping, streaming, and browsing signals with Global’s listener base and offers full-funnel measurement and attribution capabilities. Global’s radio brands accumulated more than one billion listening hours in 2025 on Alexa alone, where users can live stream eight stations—Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC, Smooth, Radio X, Capital XTRA, and Gold Radio—plus access thousands of podcasts and playlists.
“By combining Global’s iconic audio brands, which reach millions of listeners throughout their day, with Amazon first-party signals, AI-powered tools, and measurement capabilities, we’re creating powerful new ways for advertisers to connect with engaged audiences at scale,” said Phil Christer, managing director for UK operations at Amazon Ads. “Amazon DSP now offers advertisers extensive reach across premium audio in the UK, setting a new standard for how brands plan, activate, and measure audio advertising.”
“Global’s radio brands are the most listened to on smart speakers,” said Tom Streetley, director of commercial DAX Audio at Global. “Building on a long history of innovation with Amazon and Alexa, this programmatic partnership is another positive collaboration. By combining the scale and reach of Global’s radio brands with audience signals from Amazon Ads, we’re giving advertisers the tools to reach millions of relevant listeners, confidently measure the impact of their digital audio investment, and provide clear proof of performance and business outcomes.”
For podcast producers and audio professionals, the integration expands programmatic advertising options in a growing market. The partnership allows creators and networks to tap into Amazon’s sophisticated targeting capabilities while maintaining access to Global’s established listener base. Producers can now leverage deeper audience data and attribution metrics to demonstrate return on investment to advertisers, a key concern for podcast monetization strategies. Additionally, the integration creates new distribution pathways through Alexa and Amazon’s ecosystem, potentially reaching listeners in connected home environments where audio consumption continues to grow.
The integration reflects broader industry consolidation around programmatic audio buying. Traditional radio and podcast networks increasingly partner with major tech platforms to compete with streaming services and offer advertisers performance-based alternatives to traditional media buys. Amazon’s expansion into premium audio advertising positions it as a significant player in the audio market alongside Spotify and iHeartRadio, both of which have developed extensive programmatic capabilities.
Global indicated that its podcast portfolio, including The News Agents hosted by journalists Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall, will become available through the integration later in 2026. The company’s newly launched Formula 1 podcast, Up To Speed, featuring Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, racing driver Naomi Schiff, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, and F1 presenter Jolie Sharpe, will also be included. This marks the latest collaboration between Amazon and Global, extending a relationship that began when Global placed its first audio advertisement on Alexa in 2017.
The integration signals a maturing programmatic audio market where first-party data from major e-commerce and streaming platforms becomes increasingly valuable to audio publishers. For advertisers, the combination of Global’s premium radio and podcast content with Amazon’s measurement infrastructure and audience signals addresses longstanding challenges in audio attribution and ROI tracking. Industry professionals should expect continued integration between major platforms and audio networks as the sector moves toward more measurable, data-driven campaigns similar to display and video advertising models.
Source: Global — Read the original article →
