Amazon Prime Video is reorganizing its global operations to concentrate on original European content, reducing staff and funding in Africa and the Middle East.
There will be layoffs in the local teams even if Prime Video will still function in those regions.
In the meantime, Barry Furlong, vice president of Prime Video Europe, will oversee the two members of the divided European team. One, dubbed EU Established, will concentrate on the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain and is headed by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, the country director for France. The other, EU Emerging, will concentrate on expanding companies in the Nordic, CEE, and Benelux regions. Director of Benelux, CEE, and Turkey Ritchie Ordonez will serve as its leader.
It’s yet unknown if Prime Video’s European staff would be laid as a result of the restructuring.
Prime Video has been increasing its investment in Africa and the Middle East by creating specialized local teams in South Africa and Nigeria, recruiting a large number of new staff members, and signing many multi-year license agreements. Under this plan, Africa had been given priority, but Prime Video had not commissioned any original content in the Arab world.
