Amazon has tapped a Disney veteran to lead its new push into the streaming ad wars.
Jeremy Helfand, who rose from a position at Hulu to supervise all advertising innovation across Disney’s interactive businesses will take the reins as a vice president and head of advertising for Amazon’s Prime Video, the executive disclosed in a post on Linkedin on Thursday.
Spokespersons for Amazon Prime Video and Disney confirmed the hire in response to queries by Variety.
Amazon is expected to debut a new ad-supported tier on Prime Video in the next few weeks, and it may have great reach from the start, That’s because the company plans to make an ad-supported subscription plan the default level for all users. Those who want to watch programs ad-free will have to pay an extra fee per year.
During his time at Hulu and Disney, Helfand helped launch new ad formats bespoke to the world of streaming, including so-called “pause ads” that surface only when a user chooses to halve the action to take a break.
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The move is the latest in what appears to be a grab for ad veterans to run the latest battles of the media industry’s streaming wars. NBCUniversal recently snared Alison Levin, a Roku veteran, and set her in charge of winning ad support for some of the company’s biggest properties, including sales tied to sports and national TV. Netflix in 2022 poached Peter Naylor, a veteran of NBCU and Hulu, to help run its nascent sales effort for an ad-supported tier.
Amazon has already seen some success with ad sales, though it has developed a reputation among buyers for pushing for high prices and volume. The company recently sold out the commercial inventory in its stream of a new “Black Friday” NFL game that appeared on the day after Thanksgiving. Amazon has demonstrated a willingness to create interactive ads that spur viewers to start seeking a purchase on its giant e-commerce platform. Helfand, who has experience crafting new ad formats for streaming audiences, could be stepping onto familiar terrain.
