Amazon Video Execs Make The Jump To Apple

It appears Apple is continuing to make progress in bolstering its original programming division. As part of their ambitious plans to create and offer original shows and other video content, Cupertino has managed to poach not one but three executives from leading rival Amazon Studios, including the head of Amazon's kids programming, Tara Sorensen.

Since joining Amazon in 2012, Sorensen has led the company's development of children's programming. Variety reports that she will continue in the same position at Apple, while also noting that international development executive Carina Walker and legal affairs chief Tara Pietri will be making the jump from Amazon to Apple as well.

Sorensen is said to working under chief content officers Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, former Sony Pictures Television presents that were similarly poached by Apple earlier this year. Walker will also be working alongside another Amazon alum in Morgan Wandell, who joined Apple in October as the head of international creative development for worldwide video.

Not only is this move the latest of Apple's attempts to bring in some of the TV industry's top talent (Erlicht and Van Amburg brought Breaking Bad to Sony, and helped develop The Crown for Netflix along with Amazon's Sneaky Pete), it's also the latest shakeup to Amazon Studios' leadership ranks in the last few months. The studio's president Roy Price resigned in October after sexual harassment reports, followed shortly after by the departure of drama and comedy executive Joe Lewis, and head of unscripted programming Conrad Riggs.

SOURCE Variety