Amazon is shaking up its video services, as two top executives are leaving the e-commerce powerhouse, TheWrap has learned.
Anthony Bay, global head of the company's digital video division, will leave Amazon after a little more than a year at the company, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
His last day is March 1.
Spokespeople for Amazon did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls requesting comment.
The move follows Jim Buckle's departure as head of LoveFilm, Amazon's European-based streaming service. Buckle has been named chief financial officer of online cycle retailer Wiggle.
Both Bay and Buckle reported to Bill Carr, vice president of video and music at Amazon.
Amazon has moved aggressively into the digital video space and has used its deep pockets to license top content from major studios and broadcasters. The company's Prime Instant Video subscription service boasts 13,000 movies and TV shows from partners, such as CBS, NBCUniversal, Sony and Warner Bros. During its most recent fiscal quarter, Amazon said that the number of videos purchased or rented from Amazon Instant Video more than doubled year-over-year, although the company did not provide more specific numbers.
Amazon's video service offers an array of business models. It sells physical DVDs and Blu-rays, rents and sells digital copies of movies and shows, and offers subscription video services through its Prime and LoveFilm arms. Amazon's revenues come from sales of both physical and digital media rose more than 12 percent to $19.94 billion last year.
The streaming space has become fiercely competitive and Amazon is not the only company willing to deploy its formidable resources in order to lock up market share. Netflix with its more than 27 million domestic subscribers remains top dog, but Hulu Plus, which is owned by several Hollywood studios, has grown its subscriber base to 3 million customers. At the same time, kiosk operate Redbox is rolling out its own streaming service in conjunction with Verizon, while Google's YouTube now offers movies for rental.
Bay joined Amazon in October 2011 as vice president for video, from MOD Systems, where he served as chief executive officer of the digital media kiosk manufacturer. MOD Systems had an ignominious end, closing in 2011 after its founder Mark Phillips was convicted of embezzling money from the company and sentenced to four years in prison.
Bay previously worked at Loudeye, a digital music company that was sold to Nokia in 2006, and was an executive at Apple and Microsoft.
Buckle has been with LoveFilm for nearly seven years. He joined the company as chief financial officer in 2006, rising to become its chief operating officer in 2011, before being named managing director last year.
