Longtime NBC ad sales executive Krishan Bhatia has landed at Amazon as VP, Global Video Advertising Sales, a new position for a new team within ad sales focused on streaming TV offerings across live sports, Amazon Freevee, Twitch, Prime Video ads, and third-party publishers.
He’ll be based in New York and report to Alan Moss, global ad sales vice president.
In a note today, Moss said he’s “excited about the impact [Bhatia’s] wealth of experience in the media and advertising business will have for our customers in the streaming TV space.”
Video advertising has become increasingly key to Amazon, whose CEO Andy Jassy saluted the company’s progress in the space earlier today in his annual letter to shareholders, noting 24% growth last year to $47 billion.
Amazon has added sponsored TV to the mix, giving advertisers a self-service option that will inject their messages into more than 30 streaming services, including Amazon’s Freevee and Twitch.
Earlier this year, Jassy recalled, Amazon’s Prime Video started including ads on scripted shows and films. He pegged overall reach at 200 million monthly viewers across movies and shows, Amazon MGM originals and live sports including NFL Thursday Night Football. “Streaming TV advertising is growing quickly and off to a strong start,” he wrote.
Bhatia, an 18-year veteran of Comcast and NBCUniversal, said “he’s focused on building for the future through talent, technology-led innovation, and partnerships. I’m incredibly motivated by what Amazon is doing in this space, and can’t wait to dive in with this team.”
Note from Alan Moss, Global Sales VP, Amazon Ads
Hello team,
In October I shared we were forming a new global team within Ads Sales, comprised of Video Strategy, Go-To-Market, and Video Sales Specialist functions, to focus on our growing streaming TV offerings across Live Sports, Amazon Freevee, Twitch, Prime Video ads, and third-party publishers. With help from many of you, we’ve made great progress in hiring talented and experienced video experts into these roles. Today, I’m pleased to share that Krishan Bhatia will be joining us to lead this team as VP, Global Video Advertising. Krishan comes to us most recently from NBCUniversal, with prior experience at Comcast Interactive Media. 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.
Krishan will be based out of our New York City will report directly to me. As we welcome Krishan to Amazon, I would also like to thank the many leaders across our org who have helped us establish this new team.
Alan
In Krishan’s own words:
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.
I have spent my career building, growing, and transforming media businesses. For the past 18 years I was at Comcast NBCUniversal, focused on building for the future through talent, technology-led innovation, and partnerships. I’m incredibly motivated by what Amazon is doing in this space, and can’t wait to dive in with this team.
Joining a company that serves customers globally is also especially important to me. As the son of Indian and German parents, I was raised in Europe and Asia before coming to the U.S. and have family and friends around the world. Traveling to connect with them is integral to my life. At the same time, New York is home and where my wife and I love to live with our three teenage children.
I look forward to meeting and learning from you all, and to the tremendous opportunity ahead of us!