MUMBAI: Nicole Clemens has swapped Paramount’s fading star for Amazon’s prime position, landing the plum role of vice-president and head of international originals for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. The appointment, effective 7 July, sees her trading one streaming giant’s troubles for another’s triumphs.
Fresh from her stint as president of the now-defunct Paramount Television Studios—where she presided over hits like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Reacher, and Cross that ironically ended up on Prime Video—Clemens will now orchestrate Amazon’s content conquest across more than 20 territories. Rather like poacher turned gamekeeper, but with better streaming numbers.
Prime Video International, vice-president Kelly Day clearly couldn’t contain her glee: “Nicole is a highly respected and experienced media executive who will guide our future international originals slate as we invest for the long term.” Translation: she knows how to make shows that people actually watch.
The timing couldn’t be more fortuitous. Prime Video’s international division has been on a right tear, churning out more than 140 original series and films across two dozen territories last year—their biggest haul yet. With over 200 million Prime members globally, there’s clearly an appetite for content that doesn’t involve subtitles reading “Netflix Original.”
Clemens brings serious pedigree to the role. During her Paramount tenure, she shepherded everything from the Emmy-nominated Station Eleven to George Clooney’s Catch-22, plus the entire Star Trek universe for Paramount+. Before that, she spent five years as executive vice-president at FX Networks, overseeing crowd-pleasers like Atlanta and Snowfall.
Her new empire will span teams across Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, with regional heads including Javiera Balmaceda (Latin America, Canada, and Australia), Tara Erer (Northern Europe), and Nicole Morganti (Southern Europe) all reporting directly to her.
Additionally, Nikhil Madhok, head of international originals for India, will continue reporting to Gaurav Gandhi, VP of Prime Video APAC and Mena, but will remain a part of Clemens’s leadership team.
Supporting the division are Marc Hausmaninger, head of content strategy for international originals, and Sam Semon, responsible for international business affairs. This expanded team underscores Prime Video’s commitment to tailoring content across regions, with Clemens at the helm steering the international creative and strategic direction.
She’ll initially set up shop at Amazon MGM Studios’ Culver City headquarters before decamping to Prime Video’s London office—presumably for the superior biscuit selection.
The appointment signals Amazon’s serious intent to challenge Netflix’s global dominance. With international hits like Germany’s Maxton Hall and Spain’s Red Queen already in the pipeline, Clemens will be tasked with ensuring Prime Video’s international slate remains anything but secondary viewing.
But before the champagne corks start popping in recording studios across the subcontinent, there’s a sobering reality check. Despite the impressive crescendo, India’s royalty collections remain woefully below potential for a market of this magnitude—a case of having the orchestra but missing half the instruments.
