Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Confirms Prime Video Profitability Amid Rising Content Spending

Andy Jassy became CEO in 2021. He prioritized expanding the library and reach of Prime Video. Amazon allocated significant capital to reach profitability. Jassy told investors in May 2026 that the video unit had become profitable. This milestone followed years of spending on series such as Reacher and live sports rights.

1. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated that Prime Video is now profitable in its own right. He added that the service has a revenue run rate in the tens of billions of dollars.

2. The fifth season of 'Thursday Night Football' on Prime Video averaged 17.7 million viewers through the first six games. This figure represents a 16% increase over the full-season average from the previous year.

3. Amazon MGM Studios generated over $1.2 billion in global box office sales in 2026. The film 'Project Hail Mary' grossed an estimated $684 million worldwide.

4. The Prime Video series 'Carrie' premiered on October 7, 2026. It generated over 2.1 billion minutes of viewing time through October 22, 2026. Season 4 of 'Reacher' reached 66 million global viewers in its first 28 days.

1. Quarterly advertising growth decelerated sharply in the third quarter of 2026, slowing to 11% year-over-year ($19.6 billion) compared to 26% in the second quarter. The figure missed the $20.82 billion Wall Street consensus and demonstrated that ad growth remains heavily tied to retail Prime Day timing rather than steady Prime Video ad inventory.

2. ​Amazon withholds standalone profit metrics and dedicated subscriber counts for Prime Video despite executive claims of profitability. The company relies on a broad reach figure of 315 million monthly ad-supported viewers that combines bundled retail shipping members, free ad-supported channels, and live sports viewers.

3. ​Aggressive monetization through default advertisements and ad-free surcharges has triggered international regulatory action. In June 2026, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued Amazon in Federal Court, alleging unfair contract terms after the company placed ads onto existing accounts and charged an extra A$2.99 per month to remove them.

4. ​The core Prime subscription funnel supplying Prime Video's audience is subject to strict federal enforcement over deceptive enrollment practices. Throughout late 2026, Amazon is executing a $2.5 billion Federal Trade Commission settlement that includes a $1 billion civil penalty and automatic refunds of up to $200 for users enrolled without consent who used fewer than 20 Prime benefits.