Prime Video, Amazon Studios Layoffs To Affect “Several Hundred” Workers, SVP Mike Hopkins Tells Staff

William Earl Amazon Prime Video has acquired the family drama series “The Baxters” starring Roma Downey and Ted McGinley. The faith-infused series is based on the bestselling novels by author Karen Kingsbury. The series has been in the works since early 2018, when Downey announced plans to produce a series based on Kingsbury’s books for her LightWorkers Media streaming platform.

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video has greenlit The Money Game, a docuseries tracking the revolutionary impact of “name, image and likeness” (NIL) policies on college sports.

‘Searching for Sugarman’ Producer Passion Signs ‘Planet Earth II’ Showrunner

Recently, it was announced that Amazon is joining the ranks of Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services by offering a cheaper, ad-infused tier for its streaming service, Prime Video. This would allow folks to pay less monthly, but they have to deal with commercials during their streaming content.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor MrBeast, the massively popular YouTube creator known for big-money giveaways and outlandish stunts, is nearing a deal for a reality-competition show with Amazon‘s Prime Video, Variety has confirmed. Details of the show, including its title, aren’t known. But the idea is that a MrBeast-hosted show for Prime Video would follow the format of his viral YouTube challenges, including doling out large cash prizes.

Prime Video has slotted Thursday, March 14 for the premiere of the second half of Invincible‘s eight-episode second season. The announcement comes on the 21st anniversary of the inception of Robert Kirkman‘s comic book, illustrated by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, on which the adult animated superhero series is based. Four new episodes will air weekly begining March 14 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Diego Ramos Bechara editor No more thinking required, Mark! The second half of “Invincible‘s” second season will fly its way into Amazon’s Prime Video on March 14 – the 21st anniversary of the inception of the comic book that inspired it. Prime Video plans to premiere the second half of its eight-episode second season in March – with four new weekly episodes.

Marta Balaga Everyone knows masked avenger Zorro, aka Diego de la Vega, righting the wrongs while trying to keep his identity secret. Then again, maybe they don’t. “I don’t think people were expecting this version of “Zorro.” It’s a completely new take, full of adventure, action, love and diversity,” Renata Notni tells Variety ahead of its Jan.

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video‘s teams in Africa and the Middle East & North Africa region are facing layoffs, as part of a wider restructure that also “rebalances” investment towards Amazon’s European content division.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Diamond Sports Group has put together a plan to emerge from bankruptcy and remain a going concern, helped by a big new streaming deal with Amazon. Amazon has committed to making a minority investment in Diamond Sports Group, one of the largest operators of regional sports networks (RSNs) in the country, as part of Diamond’s bankruptcy reorganization plan, the RSN company announced Wednesday.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The best home-theater experience coming to the market is one you’ll be able to strap onto your head, according to Apple. Apple unveiled several new entertainment experiences that will be available on Apple Vision Pro — its expensive new mixed-reality headset — when it begins shipping on Feb.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Shtisel,” the popular series following the lives of a tight-knit ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem, is changing its U.S. home. Previously available on Netflix, all three seasons of “Shtisel” have been acquired by Amazon Prime Video from Yes Studios.

Prime Video is to change its content strategy in Southeast Asia from a model based on original productions to one focused instead on licensing. As a result it has cut some jobs in the region. The move follows last week’s announcement of a restructuring and several hundred job cuts in North America at Prime Video and the Amazon-owned MGM. “Today we have made the decision to discontinue some programs and initiatives, and rebalance our international organization to focus on the countries and regions driving the most growth for our service.

Former England soccer team manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will continue to contribute to a Prime Video documentary about his life and career, despite his terminal cancer diagnosis.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Prime Video Southeast Asia is cutting its originals team in Singapore and moving to a “leaner operating model,” as part of the globe wave of redundancies announced earlier this week.

After what feels like myriad delays and setbacks, “Mr. & Mrs.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is coming!

Amazon‘s gamer-centric streaming outlet Twitch is laying off 500 staffers, CEO Dan Clancy told employees in a memo this morning.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Amazon is laying off “several hundred” employees at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “This is a difficult decision to make and one that my leadership team and I do not take lightly,” the company’s entertainment chief Mike Hopkins wrote in an email to staff Wednesday.

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video‘s UK arm has pre-bought a suite of true crime docs about some of Britain’s most notorious crimes. The deals with London-based distributor Abacus Media Rights also include acquisitions of two completed series.