Deadline reports that Amazon Prime Video will focus on European originals after shrinking its Africa and Middle East operations, affecting personnel in those countries.
After the revisions, Prime Video will discontinue contracting African and Middle Eastern originals. However, approved concerts will proceed.
The report also stated that the company will split the European team into two groups: the EU Established to focus on the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, and Spain markets, and the EU Emerging to oversee Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), the Nordics, and Central and Eastern Europe. 
“We’ve been carefully examining our business to ensure we continue to prioritize customer needs. I have carefully evaluated our structure in the region and decided to make some adjustments to our operating model to rebalance and pivot our resources to focus on the areas that drive the most impact and long-term success,” Prime Video Europe VP Barry Furlong told staff in an email quoted by Variety.
“I have listened and considered the feedback received across the teams over the past 12 months; I believe these changes will improve the operational running of our multi-territory business and allow us to be more agile and focused,” Furlong said.
After signing multi-year license deals with production firms and establishing teams in Nigeria and South Africa, Prime Video announced a strategy to become Africa’s largest video streaming player months earlier.
Amazon Prime Video entered Africa in 2016 as part of its worldwide expansion to over 200 countries, competing with Netflix’s global debut. Until 18 months ago, the service in the region lacked local-language interfaces, subtitling, and unique content. Launching the translated version in Nigeria was a major step toward meeting African audience expectations.
Amazon Prime Video, Africa’s third-largest video streaming platform, launched tailored strategies to grow its subscriber base in emerging nations. South Africa had similar aspirations, but the Middle East platform had not commissioned unique material. The plan includes investing in local production, releasing localized originals, and giving cheap Amazon Prime subscriptions.
The platform’s original and licensed material from Africa, such as “Breath of Life” and Jade Osiberu’s “Gangs of Lagos,” was well received and profitable. Digital TV Research estimates that Prime Video had over 600,000 African members at its height, with hopes of attracting 1.5 million more over the next four years.
Prime Video’s decision to stop making local content creates a gap in the streaming ecosystem, where networks are fighting for Africa’s 15 million video-on-demand users by 2026. Showmax, Netflix, and Canal+, which create local content, could capitalize on Prime Video’s reduced presence and gain market share in the streaming war for African content and viewership.
