Amazon steps up television push with London hiring

Amazon is planning to invest more in British productions following the launch of its flagship motoring show The Grand Tour
Amazon is planning to invest more in British productions following the launch of its flagship motoring show The Grand Tour

Amazon is accelerating its drive into the television market by recruiting a head of programme commissioning in London, signalling its willingness to invest millions in more British productions following the launch of its flagship motoring show The Grand Tour later this year.

Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios, said he was in the early stages of hiring a senior television executive to lead spending on non-US exclusive programmes for Instant Video, the streaming service that is a key part of the company’s Prime subscription offer.

The high-profile, London-based role will build on the eight series Amazon has so far commissioned in the UK, making it easier for British and European producers to deal with Amazon. Currently all its programme-making decisions are made in Los Angeles.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon Credit: Getty

The Grand Tour, made by the former Top Gear team and due to be made available online in the autumn, is by far Amazon’s biggest British commission. It hopes the series will help make Instant Video a real contender in the UK pay-TV market and give it international appeal.

Netflix is also ramping up its spending on UK productions. Its big-budget drama based on the life of the Queen will premiere in the autumn.

A big push into children’s programming is also viewed as a boon to British producers who have a long history of developing worldwide hits such as Peppa Pig.

It means the BBC and ITV face increasing competition for talent and programmes from global players with much deeper pockets.

The array of choice for consumers and appetite for lavish dramas is also challenging traditional reliance of broadcasters on middle-of-the-road programming to fill up their schedules, according to Amazon.

Mr Price said: “If something isn’t slightly controversial or you are a little worried about it, maybe it is just boring and passé, maybe it is just ordinary, and the thing is the returns on ordinary are rapidly declining.

“It’s got to be neat, it’s got to be amazing, it has got to be worth talking about.”

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