YouTube Teams Up with Amazon to Make Shopping Easier for Creators

YouTube has partnered with Amazon to make it easier for content creators to promote Amazon products in their videos and earn a commission on sales. The partnership, which is part of Alphabet's broader strategic bet on e-commerce, allows eligible U.S. YouTube creators to tag Amazon products directly in their videos, Shorts, and livestreams. This move is aimed at expanding YouTube's presence in the shopping space, where it already sees significant growth.

According to Travis Katz, YouTube Shopping Vice President, 'Video has completely changed the way people shop.' He noted that while people used to browse store windows, today they browse videos. The partnership comes as part of YouTube's efforts to tap into the growing trend of livestream shopping, where creators try to sell products during their streams.

The program has already seen significant success, with over 1 million creators participating and a 13-fold increase in gross merchandise volume between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026. YouTube Shopping's gross merchandise volume is now around $110 billion annually. The platform has also become a major player in e-commerce, accounting for 13.8% of all U.S. TV watch-time in both May and June.