Amazon CEO orders budget evaluation of major shows after Citadel's failure

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has reportedly asked for a budget analysis for major shows after the $250 million project, Citadel failed to secure a spot on Nielsen's top 10 list

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has requested a thorough budget analysis for the streaming platform's major shows, including the Priyanka Chopra-starrer Citadel, which received mixed reviews and failed to secure a spot on Nielsen's top 10 list. This was reported by several media outlets

Despite an extravagant budget of $250 million allocated to Citadel, the series fell short of captivating viewers as anticipated and not yielding the desired audience engagement.

Initially, the debut season of Citadel was planned to consist of eight episodes, each with a budget of $20 million. However, only six episodes were ultimately aired. To address the production challenges faced during the first season, Joe Russo has been appointed as the director for all episodes of the second season. It is reported that he will receive an impressive compensation of $25 million for his role.

In light of reports about potential layoffs affecting a significant number of employees, Amazon is now closely examining the budget details of its prominent shows, including Citadel. The reports also highlight that Amazon's partnership with Priyanka Chopra Jonas has not yet produced significant results.

Among other updates, Amazon has also committed to investing $15 billion in India over the next seven years, which will take Amazon's total India investment across all businesses to $26 billion.

Amazon's miniTV, the free video streaming service accessible through the Amazon shopping app and Fire TV, has introduced a new category called "miniTV Imported." This category will feature global shows and is set to stream in Hindi from July 7th.