Amazon is making significant changes to its leadership structure in sports and AI, aiming to enhance efficiency and innovation.
Amazon Restructures Leadership in Sports and AI
EXCLUSIVE: Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, is reshaping the responsibilities of two senior executives, VP and global head of sports and advertising Jay Marine and VP Prime Video U.S. Albert Cheng. This restructuring was detailed in a company memo obtained by Deadline.
New Roles for Marine and Cheng
Marine’s responsibilities have expanded as he takes over Cheng’s role overseeing the U.S. Prime Video business, which includes managing subscriptions. This move aligns with Prime Video’s strategy to become the ultimate bundle by incorporating additional networks and streaming services. Marine will also continue to lead global sports and advertising operations.
Cheng is set to focus on leading investments in AI tools for creative partners, as stated in the memo. He will collaborate with the Studios tech team to enhance content creation, empowering filmmakers and showrunners to innovate using AI, thereby increasing the quality of content available to customers.
Strategic Focus on AI and Team Structure
Hopkins highlighted the need for these changes to address priorities discussed with Amazon President and CEO Andy Jassy. He emphasized the importance of creating larger roles, flatter organizational structures, and streamlined decision-making processes to enhance efficiency.
With AI rapidly transforming the media landscape, companies are increasingly appointing senior executives to spearhead their initiatives in this area. AI is already being utilized in various aspects of streaming, including dubbing.
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Background on Cheng and Marine
Cheng, a former digital executive at Disney ABC Television Group, has been with Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video for a decade, holding various roles including COO. Marine has been overseeing sports at Amazon since 2022, significantly expanding the platform’s sports rights, including the recent addition of the NBA to its portfolio, which already features the NFL and WNBA.
Conclusion
In his memo, Hopkins expressed excitement about the potential of these new roles to enhance Amazon’s storytelling capabilities and improve customer service. As Marine and Cheng transition into their new positions over the coming weeks, the company looks forward to sharing more updates on their initiatives.
