EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Prime Video Southeast Asian is reducing its originals workforce in Singapore and shifting to a “leaner working mannequin,” as a part of the globe wave of redundancies introduced earlier this week.
Deadline has seen an inner word from Prime Video’s Vice President, Asia Pacific, Gaurav Gandhi (see under), which confirms the streamer is “lowering investments in South East Asia (SEA) and shifting to a leaner native working mannequin to help the SEA territories.”
In impact, this implies an exit the native originals sport and a serious discount in headcount on the Singapore workplace, with virtually all workers from this aspect of the enterprise to exit. We perceive these packages and movies from the area set to launch for this yr and 2025 or in manufacturing are unaffected. They are going to proceed to filter by means of, however no new originals are coming.
As a substitute, Prime Video Southeast Asia will transfer a mannequin of licensing native and pan-regional content material — significantly from South Korea, the Japanese anime market and India — alongside its U.S. providing. We perceive round 25 workers will stay in Singapore engaged on Prime Video throughout the Southeast Asia area.
Gandhi’s word to star confirmed David Simonsen, Director Prime Video in Southeast Asia will proceed to steer the scaled-back Singapore workforce, “working much more carefully with our centralized enterprise groups.”
When he joined Prime Video in September 2022, Simonsen was handed duty for enterprise and advertising and marketing actions within the area, with a deal with Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Gandhi added there can be “no change in our funding focus in our different APAC territories together with Japan and India.”
Earlier this week, Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video SVP Mike Hopkins instructed workers that “a number of hundred roles” can be eradicated throughout the group. There have since been cuts in theatrical, unscripted and gaming unit Twitch, and worldwide cuts have been broadly anticipated.
Amazon’s technique shift in Southeast Asia is one thing of a volte face from the one Gandhi, who relocated from Mumbai to Singapore when he was promoted to VP in February final yr, unveiled on the APOS convention final yr. On the time, he mentioned Prime Video Southeast would look to develop its local-language content material slate.
The Singapore workplace was at an earlier stage of improvement than different APAC territories similar to India and Japan, with Amazon’s procuring and quick supply providers infrastructure not in place in a number of territories, however Gandhi had mentioned: “We’re now getting began with David’s workforce right here in constructing out Southeast Asia.”
Indian originals boss Aparna Purohit had in flip expanded her focus, with a particular goal to create content material out of Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. Regardless of the technique change, she stays in put up as India is a serious focus for Amazon, we perceive. Thai originals chief Darin Darakananda can be unaffected by the redundancies.
Learn Gandhi’s word in full right here
Crew,
We proceed to examine our enterprise to make sure that we’re prioritizing our investments on what we all know issues most to our prospects and for the long-term success of our enterprise. Right this moment now we have made the choice to discontinue some packages and initiatives, and rebalance our worldwide group to deal with the nations and areas driving probably the most development for our service. In APAC, we’re lowering investments in South East Asia (SEA) and shifting to a leaner native working mannequin to help the SEA territories. David Simonsen will proceed to steer this leaner Singapore primarily based SEA workforce, working much more carefully with our centralized enterprise groups, as we proceed to draw new prospects within the area. There isn’t a change in our funding focus in our different APAC territories together with Japan and India.
Because of these modifications, now we have eradicated some roles throughout the SEA workforce. I’m writing to let you recognize that each one impacted workers within the SEA workforce have been notified. We acknowledge this information is tough. We encourage you to succeed in out to My HR with questions and keep in mind that our Worker Help Program (EAP) is on the market 24/7 without spending a dime and confidential assist.
As Mike talked about, we stay very optimistic concerning the long-term way forward for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios the place we’re taking important steps and investments in the direction of our long-term imaginative and prescient of creating Prime Video the first-choice leisure vacation spot for patrons worldwide. I wish to thanks all for the onerous work you do each day. Please do attain out to me or the HR help I discussed above if in case you have any questions.
-Gaurav
