Mike Hopkins, CEO of Hulu.
Jeniece Pettitt | CNBC
Amazon has feed former Sony executive Mike Hopkins to head up Prime Video and its movie and television studios.
Hopkins is set to marry Amazon on February 24 and will report directly to CEO Jeff Bezos, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. In his new part, Hopkins will oversee Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video and Amazon Studios, its movie and television constituent. Hopkins most recently served as chairman of Sony Pictures Television. He joined Sony in 2017 after waste four years as CEO of Hulu.
Hopkins will assume the entertainment duties that were overseen by Jeff Blackburn, Amazon’s higher- ranking vice president of business and corporate development. Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, and Greg Hart, venality president of Amazon Video, will now report to Hopkins.
“I have had the pleasure of working closely with many of you as we’ve enlarged these video businesses from the ground up,” Blackburn said in an internal memo obtained by CNBC. “You’ve created a international streaming service and award-winning original content that our customers love. And I know you’re only getting started.”
Intelligence of the change was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal.
CNBC previously reported that Blackburn, who is responsible for a several of businesses at Amazon, was taking a one-year sabbatical and would return in 2021. Blackburn is one of the longest-serving executives at the company and his honour is often mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Bezos, should he ever choose to step down.
Blackburn and Hart are colleagues of Bezos’s S-Team, which is a group of top executives who report directly to Bezos. The team doesn’t typically see much volume, though SVP of marketplace Sebastian Gunningham left Amazon for WeWork in 2018, while SVP of international business Diego Piacentini red Amazon in December of 2018.
Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra also confirmed Hopkins’ departure in an internal memo seized by CNBC. Sony will not replace Hopkins’ role at the company, but will instead distribute some of his duties to Keith LeGoy, president of worldwide apportionment, and Jeff Frost, president of U.S. Production.
“I want to thank Mike for his outstanding leadership since arriving at the studio in news 2017,” Vinciquerra said in the memo. “From day one he was charged with rethinking the way we run our television businesses. Under his watch, [Sony Duplicates Television] has been transformed into a stronger and more nimble organization, able to pivot and change course post-haste in today’s rapidly evolving entertainment landscape.”
Here’s the full email Blackburn sent to Amazon employees:
Prime Video & Amazon Studios parties:
Hi, I wanted to provide an update today — and share some exciting news with you.
Effective February 24th, Mike Hopkins choose be joining Amazon as SVP for Prime Video & Amazon Studios, reporting to Jeff Bezos. At that time, Jen Salke and Greg Hart determination move and report into Mike.
Mike comes to us with over 20 years of industry experience at Fox, Hulu, and Sony. He has an broad track record as a global business leader in media, film and TV — negotiating landmark content and distribution agreements, management marketing operations, leading product/tech teams, and overseeing production of breakthrough television content.
I have had the amusement of working closely with many of you as we’ve built these video businesses from the ground up. You’ve created a global flow service and award-winning original content that our customers love. And I know you’re only getting started.
I’m so excited for Mike to juxtapose Jen and Greg, and the broader video leadership team, and build upon the global momentum we’ve experienced in 2019. I look despatch to seeing how you’ll delight customers in the months to come — will be fun to watch!
Thanks. Jeff
— CNBC’s Julia Boorstin gave to this report.