Blog
May 20 2025
The State of the Affiliate Nation 2025
Big investment, strong results across industries, and a growing mix of partner types – the Affiliate and Partner Marketing Association (APMA) recently released their 2025 report, and it confirms what many of us already feel: affiliate marketing keeps getting more valuable. We’re happy to have contributed to the report and to be part of highlighting how the industry is growing and changing.
A channel delivering measurable results at scale
In 2024, UK brands invested £1.7 billion in affiliate and partner marketing — a 9% increase from the year before. That spend delivered 360 million sales and brought in £2.2 million in tracked revenue every hour, highlighting just how powerful the channel has become.
On average, brands earned £16 for every £1 they invested. During Cyber Weekend 2024, affiliate partners were responsible for 13% of all ecommerce revenue. And when it comes to online travel in the UK, one in every seven pounds spent came through the affiliate channel.
A more diverse partner mix
The report shows that partner marketing is now playing a role at every stage of the customer journey. While traditional last-click partners like voucher sites and cashback platforms are still going strong, the biggest growth is happening higher up the funnel — with tech platforms, CSS partners, and subnetworks. It’s a clear sign that brands are seeing the value of partners beyond just the final conversion, see the full brand budget allocation in the chart below.
With nearly 70,000 active affiliates promoting 7,400 brands and advertisers, the channel is bigger and more diverse than ever.
A more complete industry picture
Put together with data from 12 affiliate networks and platforms — including the Amazon Associates program — this year’s APMA study offers the most detailed look at the affiliate and partner marketing landscape so far. It includes new insights by industry, cost-per-sale benchmarks across major retail partners, and a deep dive into the real value of upper funnel activity.
Why this matters
Adtraction is proud to be part of the continued growth of partner marketing. The 2025 APMA report makes it clear: affiliate and partner marketing isn’t just holding strong — it’s evolving. With new tech, a more diverse partner mix, and better ways to measure impact, the channel is becoming an even bigger part of how ambitious brands grow.
Follow this link to download the research highlights and/or purchase the full report here.