APMA’s State of the Affiliate Nation report shows spend and revenues increasing as companies turn to high-performing, accountable channels
The Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association (APMA) has released the third edition of its State of the Affiliate Nation report, which uses data from 11 affiliate networks, including impact.com, to track the size, scale and scope of the UK affiliate market in 2025. The report finds an industry in rude health, despite a tough economic backdrop.
Brands invested £1.8 billion in affiliate and partner marketing in 2025 – a 7.3% increase on the previous year. This spend generated revenues of £20.7bn, a 7.3% year-on-year increase, giving an ROI of 15X, rising to 19X in the travel and retail sectors.
There were 357m transactions tracking through an affiliate link in 2025, equating to 41,000 transactions per hour. Across Cyber Weekend, £1 in every £7 spent tracked through an affiliate link – compared to £1 in every £8 in 2024.
By sector, retail was the largest user of affiliate and partner marketing, accounting for 47% of all spend, with spend on comparison shopping services rising by 18% year-on-year, and health & beauty revenues rising by the same amount.
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Travel was another strong performer, with spend up 14% and revenues rising by 10%.
Cashback, card-linked offers and rewards were the biggest driver of sales, while voucher partners delivered a remarkable ROI of 24X.
In the telecoms sector, affiliates delivered 1 million new customers per month, with price comparison sites featuring strongly, accounting for 43% of spend – four times the sector average. Content was another popular strategy, taking 23% of telecoms affiliate spend.
Affiliate spend in the finance sector came in at £10m per month, a 9% year-on-year increase. Content publishers attracted the largest share of investment, accounting for 31% of spend.
One of the key trends highlighted by the report is the market maturing beyond last-click CPA. Advertisers are increasingly using affiliate across the customer journey, not just at the point of conversion. Tenancy is expanding, while content and comparison-led models are also gaining ground. In fact, during 2025, close to one pound in five was spent on clicks, tenancies, hybrid deals and other non-CPA payments.
It’s notable also that affiliate spend, and the revenues generated from it, both increased, off the back of only a small increase in the number of transactions, suggesting an increase in average order value. While this may seem at odds with tightening household budgets, it is a reflection of the affiliate’s channel’s strong performance heritage.
“It’s very encouraging to see the affiliate & partner marketing industry deliver such a strong set of numbers for 2025,” said Ant Clements, UK Country Manager at impact.com. “They are in line with what we saw, and continue to see, at impact.com, as brands move spend from ineffective channels like advertising and put it into high-performing channels like affiliate, influencer and partner marketing. Things are tough out there, so it’s no surprise to see marketers putting their faith in channels that are known for their accountability, and their ability to deliver strong results.”
Kevin Edwards, Founder & Director of the APMA:
“The affiliate channel has once again proved how resilient it is. Many publisher models are based around empowering consumers to make better purchasing decisions while saving money and in the current economic climate that is particularly powerful. It’s especially encouraging to see comparison companies and tech start-ups drive the highest annual growth as the channel continues to diversify, offering brands the opportunity to partner with publisher models across the funnel.”
The report was compiled from data submitted by 11 major affiliate networks, including impact.com. It offers aggregated performance data covering spend, transactions and revenues, alongside breakdowns by sector and publisher type. Some modelling has been applied to estimate the total size of the market, but estimates are conservative, so if anything, the industry is probably worth more than the report finds.
APMA members can now download the full report here: https://theapma.co.uk/uk-affiliate-and-partner-marketing-spend-surges-to-1-8bn-as-brands-invest-in-tried-and-tested-performance-channels/. Non-members can view a summary of the report, though it is also free for advertisers to sign up as a member.
About APMA
The Affiliate and Partnership Marketing Association (APMA) is the collective voice for the UK affiliate and partner marketing industry. Representing affiliates, networks, agencies and advertisers, it informs, educates and advocates for one of the most effective and diverse marketing channels.
The APMA develops industry standards, promotes best practice and champions the role of affiliate and partner marketing across the UK.
About impact.com
impact.com is the world’s leading commerce partnership marketing platform, transforming the way businesses grow by enabling them to discover, manage, and scale partnerships across the entire customer journey. From affiliates and influencers to content publishers, brand ambassadors, and customer advocates, impact.com empowers brands to drive trusted, performance-based growth through authentic relationships. Its award-winning products – Performance (affiliate), Creator (influencer), and Advocate (customer referral) – unify every type of partner into one integrated platform. As consumers increasingly rely on recommendations from people and communities they trust, impact.com helps brands show up where it matters most. Today, over 5,000 global brands – including TUI, Uber, Shopify, Lenovo, L’Oreal and Skyscanner – impact.com to power more than 350,000 partnerships that deliver measurable business results.
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