Amazon Prime Video is embarking on a series of job consultations with staff in Europe, with less than 5% of employees facing potential layoffs. This move comes as part of a broader restructuring effort announced by VP Barry Furlong, impacting Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
The consultations are currently taking place across Prime Video’s European offices, and affected employees are expected to be notified today. The number of staff impacted is estimated to be in the double figures, signaling significant changes within the organization.
The layoffs in Europe are part of Prime Video’s larger international restructuring plan, which aims to eliminate “several hundred roles” to reduce costs. Furlong emphasized the importance of prioritizing resources to focus on areas that drive the highest impact and long-term success for customers.
Earlier announcements revealed that Prime Video’s teams in Africa and the Middle East & North Africa regions were also facing layoffs as part of a reallocation of investments towards Amazon’s European content offerings. The restructure split Europe into two clusters, with emerging territories receiving new investments, while funding for Africa and MENA was reduced.
The two European clusters, EU Established (EU5) and EU Emerging (EUX), are now led by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan and Ritchie Ordonez, respectively. Additionally, Prime Video will appoint a Director of EU Content & Programme Strategy to oversee a new strategic regional programming function.
Amazon’s restructuring efforts extend beyond Europe, with layoffs affecting Southeast Asia’s originals team and various units across the U.S., including theatrical, unscripted, and gaming divisions within Twitch. This aligns with a broader trend of media companies making redundancies to navigate economic challenges and prioritize profitability in the streaming industry.
Amazon is not alone in its restructuring efforts, as other major media companies such as Paramount Global, Viaplay, ProSiebenSat.1, Channel 4, Snap, Meta, and Google have also implemented staff cuts in response to changing market dynamics and the need to streamline operations.
Amazon Prime Video’s job consultations in Europe reflect the company’s strategic realignment to optimize resources and drive long-term success in a competitive streaming landscape. While these organizational changes may be difficult for affected employees, they are part of a broader industry trend towards efficiency and sustainability.