Amazon on FAST hiring spree

Amazon Studios is on the hunt for new senior execs as it continues to bolster its FAST and AVOD business, reports DTVE’s sister publication TBI.

The company is looking to fill numerous roles, including a head of first-party and exclusive FAST channels to join the AVOD original programming team.

This exec will lead creative strategy, development, licensing, and programming for Amazon Studios’ first-party and exclusive channels business and will be responsible for helping to define and execute the content strategy for TV and movie content on these services.

Amazon is also seeking a lead programming exec for the same team, with the responsibility for overseeing the creative strategy, including category and title selection, content oversight, and deal-making for original and licensed series and movies on our global first-party and exclusive FAST channels.

Numerous other openings are currently available across its ad-supported operations, with the media giant on something of a hiring spree recently, having appointed NBCUniversal exec Jessica Morganroth as senior content acquisitions manager for its SVOD Prime Video and AVOD Freevee earlier this month.

This was just the latest in a string of new hires and promotions at the company in recent days, with A+E Networks’ Edward Guerron also named as senior content acquisition manager, covering the UK & Germany for Freevee.

HBO Asia veteran David Simonsen has also been named as director of Southeast Asia for Prime Video, while last month Amazon Studios restructured the unscripted operations of its Prime Video and Freevee teams in the US last month.

Amazon Studios has also made several new appointments across its newly established local originals development team for South Africa and Nigeria, which came soon after Amazon promoted Ryan Pirozzi to head of ad-supported streaming service Freevee and Lauren Anderson to head of AVOD original content and programming at Amazon Studios and Freevee.

Amazon has been increasing investment in Freevee over the past 12 months, spending on US originals such as Bosch: Legacy and saving Jeff Daniels-starring American Rust, following its cancellation by Showtime.

The streamer also rolled out in Germany earlier this month, its second international launch following the UK last year. The service initially launched in the US in 2019 as IMDb Freedive, before rebranding to IMDb TV, and eventually Freevee in April.

Prime Video, meanwhile, recently reported that its new epic fantasy series, The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, attracted more than 25 million global viewers on its first day, breaking all previous records for the retailer’s streamer.