Amazon is turning a new leaf on its unscripted strategy as Lauren Anderson steps fully into her brand and content role while the company is poised to begin the search for a new head of unscripted growth.
Anderson was named head of brand and content innovation in May 2024 but kept her previous responsibilities as head of AVOD programming and unscripted across Prime Video and Amazon Freevee, which has since shuttered. With Anderson focused completely on a new brand-funded role, Amazon will need to fill her seat. Amazon has not responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Anderson will now serve as the director of Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab full-time. Additionally, she will work on brand partnerships across Amazon Music, Twitch, Alexa, Fire TV and the Amazon store.
In her previous role, her work focused on ad integration with Amazon, Prime Video and the studios’ marketing teams. She generated advertising sponsorships, integrations and custom content across film and TV projects.
Newly appointed head of global TV Peter Friedlander will now take the reins of the unscripted television strategy. Friedlander succeeded the departure of Vernon Sanders. He will likely bring on another executive to fill Anderson’s role and support unscripted growth. That person has yet to be named. Friedlander has no unscripted experience and spent 14 years at Netflix on the scripted side before joining Amazon.
Amazon has dipped into the unscripted space with MrBeast’s “Beast Games,” “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” and “Project Runway” spinoff “Making the Cut.” “Beast Games” was renewed for two more seasons after becoming Prime Video’s most-watched unscripted series, but the streamer has yet to find a hit outside of MrBeast. Colin Jost’s “Jeopardy” spinoff has since moved to Netflix.
Several Amazon unscripted executives have moved to Netflix, including head of unscripted series Jenny Falkoff and head of docuseries Alysia Russo.
