Big moves at Amazon! Two senior execs are shaking things up, with Jay Marine taking the reins of US Prime Video and Albert Cheng diving deep into AI innovation. What does this mean for the future of entertainment and tech? It sounds like Amazon is truly ready to push some major boundaries!
Amazon Prime Video is undergoing a significant executive reshuffle, with two of its senior leaders, Jay Marine and Albert Cheng, taking on pivotal new roles that underscore the company’s strategic focus on streaming growth and artificial intelligence innovation.
Jay Marine, previously the global head of sports and advertising, will now expand his oversight to include Amazon’s entire U.S. Prime Video business. This consolidation of responsibilities positions Marine as a “single-threaded leader” for the platform’s domestic operations, encompassing Prime Video subscriptions and its strategic initiative to become an ultimate content bundle by integrating various networks and streamers.
Concurrently, Albert Cheng, former VP of Prime Video U.S., transitions into a crucial new role dedicated to advancing Amazon’s investment in AI. Cheng will lead the creation of innovative tools designed to empower creative partners, filmmakers, and showrunners, enabling them to leverage artificial intelligence for more groundbreaking and high-quality content production.
In an internal memo obtained by Deadline, Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, articulated the rationale behind these changes. Hopkins highlighted Amazon President and CEO Andy Jassy’s and his own shared priorities: fostering larger executive roles, streamlining organizational structures for faster decision-making, and capitalizing on the rapid advancements in AI.
The restructuring reflects Amazon’s commitment to harnessing the “lightning-fast speed” at which AI is transforming work processes and unlocking new opportunities in content creation and distribution. This strategic pivot aims to deliver an entirely new kind of storytelling experience to customers, leveraging Amazon’s scale and technological leadership in this burgeoning field.
Albert Cheng brings a decade of diverse experience to his new AI-centric position, having held various key roles at Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video, including that of COO. Before his tenure at Amazon, Cheng was a digital executive at the Disney ABC Television Group, underscoring his extensive background in media and entertainment.
Jay Marine, another seasoned Amazon veteran, has been instrumental in growing the company’s sports division since 2022. Under his leadership, Prime Video has significantly expanded its sports rights portfolio, notably adding NBA coverage to its existing roster of major leagues such as the NFL and WNBA, solidifying its position in the competitive sports streaming landscape.
These executive shifts are poised to accelerate Amazon’s strategic objectives, enhancing operational efficiency and positioning the company at the forefront of AI-driven content innovation. The company anticipates these changes will not only empower its creative ecosystem but also deliver a richer, more dynamic entertainment experience for its global customer base.