Amazon Prime Video plans to layoff staff and cut content in Africa and the Middle East to focus primarily on European originals, as part of the restructuring efforts to improve its international business.
Shows from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region that have already been greenlit or contracted will proceed as planned, but there may be a halt in greenlighting local originals in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Prime Video will continue to operate in these regions, but redundancies in local teams are anticipated. Simultaneously, the European team will be divided into two segments, both reporting to Prime Video Europe VP, Barry Furlong. One segment will focus on established markets such as the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain, while the other concentrates on growing businesses in Benelux, the Nordics, and CEE (Central and Eastern Europe).
It is unclear whether the European restructuring will result in layoffs within Prime Video’s European teams. The company also plans to hire a new executive, the director of EU content and programming strategy, who will collaborate with U.S. and international colleagues on the Amazon MGM Studios pipeline.
The company has been striving to meet the demands of customers, to which Furlang emailed staff, saying, “we’ve been carefully looking at our business to ensure we continue to prioritise our resources on what matters most to customers.” The changes are aimed at improving the operational efficiency of the multi-territory business and making it more agile and focused.
Notably, Prime Video had been expanding its investment in Africa and the Middle East, with dedicated country teams for Nigeria and South Africa. However, this restructuring suggests a shift in priorities and resource allocation within the company.
