In a press release on June 21st, 2023, Amazon announced its impact on the creative landscape of the UK, a territory both similar and uniquely different from its US domestic market. The headline number was the £4.2 billion pounds ($5.1 billion) invested by Amazon into the UK creative industries since 2010, with the pace of investment doubling since 2018. The press release cited 16,000 UK jobs that have been supported since 2022, ranging from directly employed (2,000) to supporting businesses and freelancers across the creative industry. This announcement came three months after Netflix revealed that it had invested $6 billion in programming investment in the UK since 2020.
For Amazon, this is about broadening the reach and appeal of its core consumer proposition. It is also squarely aimed at reassuring national decision-makers about Amazon’s ongoing commitment to investing in the cultural vibrancy of the societies from which it generates revenue. For the creatives themselves, it is a transformational factor that enables and empowers progression in highly competitive and historically tightly knit industries. The output promoted by Amazon is that of commissioning multi-million-pound, BAFTA-winning Amazon Prime productions, such as Jungle, from first-time production companies, with Amazon positioned as becoming an essential part of the UK cultural ecosystem. This extends to physical investment in its newly emerging Shepperton Studios for Prime screen production.
By publicly committing to big budget investments, Amazon is proactively getting ahead of the domestic content investment trends that are currently impacting mature entertainment markets, as diverse as Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Companies and brands mentioned: Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, BAFTA, Jungle, Shepperton Studios