Amazon shakes up streaming leadership team

In a significant executive reshuffle within the entertainment industry, Amazon has revealed that Jennifer Salke is exiting her role as the head of Amazon MGM Studios. This leadership alteration arrives amidst speculation about potential discontent with the company’s streaming strategy in recent years, suggesting a pivotal moment for the tech giant’s media division.

Leadership Restructuring at Amazon MGM Studios

While Mike Hopkins, overseeing both Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, commended Salke‘s contributions in an internal communication, her departure is framed as an opportunity to “streamline the leadership structure.” This rationale echoes a broader trend of organizational flattening observed in recent tech sector workforce reductions.

Role Elimination and Direct Reporting

Indicating a shift in operational approach, Amazon has no plans to replace Salke‘s position directly. Consequently, the studio heads for both film and television divisions will now report directly to Hopkins, centralizing the command chain within Amazon MGM Studios.

Background on Salke’s Tenure

Reports surrounding Salke‘s exit underscore Amazon‘s reported frustrations and obstacles in the streaming arena under her guidance. Joining Amazon Studios in 2018 from NBCUniversal, Salke‘s mandate was to broaden the streamer’s content from critically acclaimed projects to encompass more widely popular, mainstream successes.

Streaming Successes and High-Budget Ventures

During her tenure, Amazon‘s streaming service achieved notable triumphs with series such as “Reacher,” “Jack Ryan,” “Fallout,” and “The Boys.” The company also invested heavily in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which, while achieving record viewership upon its premiere, has not reached the global phenomenon status anticipated given its substantial production budget exceeding $1 billion.

Challenges with “Citadel” and Spinoffs

Another ambitious project, “Citadel,” envisioned as the cornerstone of a sprawling fictional universe with global spin-offs like “Citadel: Diana” and “Citadel: Honey Bunny,” faced significant production hurdles. Extensive reshoots reportedly elevated “Citadel” to become the second most expensive television series ever produced, surpassed only by “The Rings of Power.” However, its audience reception has been less than stellar. Industry sources indicate that the second season’s launch has been postponed from fall 2025 to spring 2026, and further spin-off development is currently suspended.

The James Bond Franchise and Creative Clashes

Following Amazon‘s acquisition of MGM in 2022, securing a new James Bond production has proven challenging. Veteran producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, inheritors of the Bond legacy from Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, have maintained strict creative autonomy over the franchise. Reports surfaced in The Wall Street Journal in December detailing Barbara Broccoli’s discontent with Amazon. An early meeting incident, where Salke reportedly referred to Bond as mere “content,” apparently caused particular offense, with Broccoli allegedly describing the tech company’s executives as “idiots.”

Executive Discord and Control Disputes

According to another source, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, reportedly reacted strongly to the WSJ article concerning Broccoli, allegedly stating, “I don’t care what it takes, get rid of her.” Subsequently, the company purportedly compensated Wilson and Broccoli to relinquish some degree of control over the James Bond franchise.

Salke’s Future Ventures

Notably, Salke‘s name was absent from Amazon‘s celebratory announcement regarding the Bond agreement. However, moving forward, Salke is set to establish a new film and television production company, securing a first-look deal with Amazon, marking a continued, albeit modified, relationship with the streaming and tech giant.