Amazon Restructures European Business

Amazon Prime Video is restructuring its business in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Following similar moves just announced in its Asian markets, Amazon plans to withdraw some resources from lower ARPU (average revenue per user) markets in the Middle East and Africa, to focus on more profitable and established countries in Europe.

Under the plan, Prime Video will reroute original programming funding towards two priority regional groups "EU Established," which includes the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain, and "EU Emerging,"  which covers Benelux the Nordics and Central and Eastern Europe. 

There are expected to an undisclosed number of job losses in the Middle East and Africa.

In a memo announcing the changes, Prime Video EMEA head Barry Furlong described the “increasing investment in emerging European locales, matching resource with the growth and opportunity we are seeing in those countries” which will “prioritise resources on what matters most to customers” and “focus on the areas that drive the highest impact and long-term success”.  

The memo said resources for sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa will reduce to “prior levels.” Which is expected to mean there will be no halt on original programming in the region for the foreseeable future.