Amazon just announced its strategic move of hiring former NBCUniversal ad executive Krishan Bhatia as its new Vice President of Global Video Advertising.
Bhatia spent 18 years at NBCUniversal, and he was the president and chief business officer for global advertising & partnerships from 2020 to 2024.
He announced his departure from his longtime employer in September 2023.
Bhatia’s new position at Amazon is new, as well as the team he will be leading, created specifically to boost streaming ad sales on Amazon’s various platforms, which include Prime Video, Freevee, Twitch, and live sports.
Bhatia brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at NBCUniversal, where he led innovation in digital, streaming, and data products, as well as managed and grew ad partnerships.
The advancements, announcements, and innovations from today's Peacock NewFront is #OurPartnershipCommitment in action.
— NBCU Advertising & Partnerships (@NBCUTogether) May 2, 2023
Krishan Bhatia, President & Chief Business Officer, Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal, brings home our 2023 Peacock NewFront.#IABNewFrontspic.twitter.com/6U0HZ2Pssb
He was also instrumental in the successful debut of Peacock as an ad-backed streaming service.
“I could not be more excited to join Amazon Ads and partner with all of you as we work to deliver the best content and advertising experiences globally, for viewers and brands alike,” Bhatia noted.
Based in New York, Bhatia will be reporting directly to Alan Moss, global ad sales VP for Amazon Ads.
“I’m excited about the impact his wealth of experience in the media and advertising business will have for our customers in the streaming TV space,” Moss wrote to the ad sales team.
Amazon’s Video Streaming Growth
The announcement of Bhatia’s hiring comes right after Amazon CEO Andy Jassy shared insights on the remarkable growth of the brand's video streaming initiatives in his annual Letter to Shareholders published Thursday.
Our CEO, Andy Jassy, published his annual Letter to Shareholders today. https://t.co/0uDATmprjC
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) April 11, 2024
Jassy revealed that Prime Video has reached “over 200 million monthly viewers,” highlighting the platform's substantial audience for advertisers.
“We have increasing conviction that Prime Video can be a large and profitable business on its own. This confidence is buoyed by the continued development of compelling, exclusive content,” Jassy wrote.
The introduction of ads and sponsored content on Prime Video has been a significant development, enabling brands to reach a massive audience and potentially generate substantial revenue.
“Streaming TV advertising is growing quickly and off to a strong start,” Jassy said, and it seems that Bhatia’s onboarding aims to support and further this growth.
