The Motion Picture Association has added Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video as its newest members.
Amazon outlets will officially join the industry and lobbying organization as its seventh member on October 1. Netflix joined the association in 2019, a move that reflected the industry’s shift toward streaming and the tech giants’ influence on the business.
Other members of the MPA include Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery.
“The MPA is the global voice of a growing and evolving industry. The addition of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios to our ranks will expand our collective efforts to shape policy and protect content on behalf of our most innovative and creative companies,” MPA Chairman Charles Rivkin said in a statement.
In a memo to MPA staff, Rivkin wrote that Amazon’s addition “reflects the realities of our industry and sets us up for sustained success on our core priorities. It is a storyline that gives us the tools to continue fighting for the broader creative industries.”
Rivkin lobbied Netflix to join the industry association just as the MPA lost Fox Filmed Entertainment due to its merger with The Walt Disney Co.
Amazon’s studio was already a member of the MPA’s Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, a global coalition to combat piracy founded in 2017. Apple+ is also a member of the organization.
Membership in the MPA is not cheap: The industry association brought in nearly $59 million in revenue from membership fees, the industry association’s main source of income, in 2022, according to its most recent tax returns. That year, it posted a deficit of $1.8 million on total revenue of $74.5 million.
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement: “Amazon’s mission is to entertain customers around the world with compelling movies and television shows. To do that, we must support storytellers while helping to maintain a robust entertainment industry that works for both the studios and our creative partners. We are proud to join the MPA and its member studios in their collective efforts to protect creators, content and consumers worldwide.”
