On immediately’s episode of Selection’s “Strictly Business” podcast, Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, offers a wide-ranging interview on the evolution of Amazon’s media technique, how the MGM acquisition has modified the sport, why the streamer is investing closely in sports activities — and why Amazon has no regrets in regards to the Melania Trump documentary movie and the upcoming collection.
Hopkins additionally touches on Prime Video’s channels enterprise, AI, Amazon MGM’s method to theatrical movie and — in fact — the way forward for James Bond.
Hopkins is an business veteran who joined Amazon in early 2020, after beforehand heading Sony Photos Tv and Hulu. He additionally spent greater than 16 years at Fox Tv, rising by means of the enterprise and distribution ranks.
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At Amazon, Hopkins observes, the enterprise mannequin for video is rooted within the Prime membership program, which supplies the corporate a special POV than its largest media rivals.
“What [Amazon has] done incredibly well over the last 20 is build the Prime membership program globally. And Prime Video has been part of that growth,” Hopkins says. “We sit in a great spot where we have hundreds of millions of Prime members around the world, most of which are outside the United States. So that’s obviously given us a very big opportunity. One of the things that actually brought me to Amazon was the idea that there’s this large engaged base around the world of Prime members and how can we leverage that to build a new kind of media company as well?”
Hopkins explains how the acquisition of MGM in 2022 has modified the complexion of Amazon’s media enterprise. It not solely introduced a deep library and IP choices, it gave the corporate the power to distribute theatrical movies. Hopkins reaffirms that Amazon intends to launch about 15 movies per yr. He additionally factors to Amazon’s latest earnings disclosure that Prime Video itself is now a worthwhile and rising unit throughout the sprawling agency that has carved out a novel place in international commerce and tradition.
“We are now a profitable business in our own right and a growing and large operation within Amazon. We don’t segment Prime Video out [in earnings],” he says. “The advent of advertising on Prime Video back a couple of years ago has really given us not only the ability to turn the corner on the profit side, but also to reinvest in more programming for customers.”
Hopkins notes that it was shortly after Prime Video’ launched promoting that Amazon struck its cope with the NBA. “I don’t know that we would have had the balance sheet or the P&L to do that deal if it weren’t for the fact that we started down the journey with advertising,” he says. “Our commitment was to get our financial house in order but also to reinvest as much of our revenues as possible so that we can continue to bring great storytelling to customers. It’s just the beginning. We’re going to continue to build and grow and expand over the next few years.”
Hopkins additionally addresses the controversy that emerged in early 2025 when Amazon MGM Studios ponied up $40 million to amass the documentary “Melania” on first lady Melania Trump. He makes no apologies for taking up the undertaking, which raised the specter of Amazon trying to curry favor with the Trump administration with a wealthy license charge far above the market common for nonfiction movies.
“The producers have also said publicly it was a very competitive bidding process, which we certainly felt in the negotiation,” Hopkins says. “When you look at the performance of Melania in the scheme of things — largest non-music documentary box office opening in 10 years. And when it comes to Prime, when a movie does a good box office, it performs really well on Prime. And this is the same. It did really well. We’ll have another bite at the apple when we release the companion docu-series later this year. So expect that to also continue to run. And then of course, just like ‘Project Hail Mary’ or ‘Sheep Detectives’ or other movies, it’s going to be available for customers for a very long time.”
“Strictly Business” is Selection’s weekly podcast that includes conversations with business leaders in regards to the enterprise of media and leisure. (Please click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.) New episodes debut each Wednesday and may be downloaded at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud and extra.
