State of the Affiliate Nation 2026: Highlights from APMA launch event
Attending the Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association’s annual State of the Affiliate Nation 2026 launch event last week at Everyman Broadgate offered a timely reminder of just how resilient, and increasingly sophisticated, the affiliate channel has become. We joined senior marketers from across the industry to get a first look at the numbers from the third edition of this report, which remains the only piece of UK research built directly from network and platform data.
A channel outperforming the market
The headline stats presented by APMA Founder & Director Kevin Edwards make a compelling case alone. UK brands invested £1.8bn into affiliate and partner marketing in 2025, driving £20.7bn in revenue – a 15:1 ROI. Even more striking is the growth: the channel expanded by 7.3%, outpacing the wider UK economy by a factor of five.
But beyond the top-line figures, what stood out in Kevin’s session was the depth and credibility of the data. Built directly from network and platform submissions, this isn’t modeled guesswork, it’s a reflection of real market activity. And that clarity is critical for brands and agencies looking to justify investment in an increasingly scrutinised media landscape.
Tech-driven scale and evolving performance
The affiliate channel now drives around 1 million sales per day, with approximately 470 clicks every second, which Kevin pointed out equates to a staggering (almost) 15 billion clicks annually. These metrics highlight the infrastructure and tracking sophistication underpinning modern affiliate ecosystems.
The report demonstrates strong growth across tech partners which is up 18% year on year, with partners, CSS and influencer-led activity all contributing across the funnel – from discovery through to conversion. This reinforces a key shift: affiliate is no longer just a “last-click” channel.
In fact, one of the most important findings is the move beyond pure CPA models. Around 20% of spend now sits outside traditional last-click CPA, with tenancy, CPC and hybrid models gaining traction. For brands, this signals a more nuanced, tech-enabled approach to attribution and partner valuation, something we see increasingly in our own client strategies.
Sector trends and where to watch
The report also surfaced some standout vertical insights. While retail remains dominant, growth is being driven by sectors like travel and finance, both seeing double-digit increases. Meanwhile, health & beauty is a clear breakout category, with spend up 20% and revenue surging by 48% year-on-year – fuelled by trends like influencer-led brands and evolving consumer behaviours.
For agencies and brands, this kind of granular data is invaluable in shaping both partner strategy and budget allocation.
Full-funnel thinking and CRO alignment
In addition to unveiling the report highlights, the day’s panel session reinforced many of these themes, particularly the importance of full-funnel optimisation. Featuring leaders from Genie Shopping, Genie Goals and B&Q, the panel discussed how brands are increasingly diversifying partner mixes and investing earlier in the customer journey, from content and editorial through to conversion-driving partners and a focus beyond last-click metrics.
There was also a clear consensus that affiliate’s flexibility, especially in testing new models and partners, makes it a powerful channel in uncertain economic conditions.
Final thoughts
The event closed with a keynote from McDonald’s, offering a broader perspective on brand partnerships and the role of creativity in driving engagement – a fitting reminder that performance and brand don’t need to operate in silos.
Thanks to the APMA for hosting an insightful afternoon of content and perspectives. Members can download the State of the Affiliate Nation 2026 report to explore the full data set and insights in more detail.
intent.ly is a proud founding member of the APMA and we continue to support their work through our Gold membership. Learn more about joining 50 industry leaders and 130+ brands here.
Amy is intent.ly’s marketing manager, and she has 15 years’ experience working in marketing for global events and technology.
