The MPA announced Thursday that Amazon has joined the Motion Picture Association, Hollywood’s main lobbying group. The tech giant, which includes streaming service Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, becomes the newest member after streaming heavyweight Netflix joined in 2019.
“Welcoming Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios to our ranks will expand our collective efforts to develop policies and protect content on behalf of our innovative and creative companies,” MPA CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement.
The company said earlier this year that Amazon Prime Video has 200 million monthly viewers. In addition to Amazon and Netflix, other MPA members include entertainment giants Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. and Discovery.
Amazon’s entry into MPA comes as the company continues to pour money into its entertainment efforts; in 2023, the company will spend $19 billion on content, up 14% from the previous year.
MGM, which Amazon bought in 2021 for $8.5 billion, was a member of the MPA from its founding in 1923 until 2005. Rivkin, in an interview with The New York Timessaid Amazon’s acquisition of MGM “changed the conversation” and accelerated talks about the company joining MPA; Rivkin has been seeking membership at Amazon since 2019, the group said in a statement Thursday.
Amazon Prime Video and MGM Studios vice president Mike Hopkins said the company was “proud” to join the lobbying group, saying it would “protect advocates, content and consumers around the world.”
The tech company’s streaming service has originals like “The Boys” and this year’s feature film “Road House,” as well as Thursday Night Football NFL.
