Amazon is moving forward with a round of job cuts that will see dozens of employees depart its Prime Video business overseas, according to a report.
On Tuesday, entertainment trade publication Deadline said Amazon executives have started “job consultations” with affected employees at its overseas locations, most of which contribute to its Prime Video expansion efforts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The job cuts are part of a broader round of layoffs impacting Amazon employees across the company’s video businesses, which include MGM Studios and the gaming-centric streaming platform Twitch.
Earlier this year, Amazon warned hundreds of employees that their jobs were on the line as the company reorganized its video units with an emphasis on reducing expenses. Around 500 workers were expected to be affected by the time the dust settled.
The job cuts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa are part of these layoffs, Deadline reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The website said Amazon’s Middle East and Africa businesses were likely to see the most impact as Amazon refocused its video businesses on Europe.
The restructuring will see Amazon’s European video business split among two clusters: One focused on Amazon’s established video business in Europe, and another focused on expansion efforts in territories where Prime Video has recently launched or will soon debut.
Amazon is one of several media companies to restructure its international operations over the past few years. Other companies that have taken a similar approach include Paramount Global, the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), Paramount Global and Google.
Last week, WBD said it was planning to lay off 300 journalists and other local TV workers in New Zealand as part of a planned closure of its Newshub news division. The outlet produces local and regional news content for WBD-owned Three (TV3), which the company acquired several years ago.
Last summer, Nordic-based streaming service Viaplay announced it was pulling out of several countries — including the United States and the United Kingdom — and laying off hundreds of employees as it restructured its business with a focus on European territories.
