How Amazon Studios is becoming a major force in UK’s creative economy through studio investments and regional production

As Amazon accelerates its £40 billion UK investment strategy across logistics, cloud, and AI infrastructure, one of its lesser-known but increasingly strategic bets is unfolding in the country’s creative economy. With over £4.2 billion already invested since 2010 in film, television, music, publishing, fashion, and gaming, Amazon Studios is emerging as a major player in the British media landscape. Through landmark productions, regional studio developments, and multi-million-pound workforce training programmes, Amazon is establishing the United Kingdom not just as a market—but as a key production engine for its global content portfolio.

Amazon’s creative footprint in the UK spans everything from blockbuster original series such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to regionally focused productions like Young Sherlock (Wales) and Lazarus (Manchester). The American media and entertainment investor has anchored itself in long-term partnerships with some of the UK’s most historic production sites, including Bray Film Studios in Berkshire and Shepperton Studios in Surrey. These efforts are now part of a broader plan to deepen Amazon’s integration into the UK’s creative economy while boosting Britain’s role as a global content exporter.

How is Amazon’s studio investment strategy reshaping Britain’s role in global content production?

Amazon’s strategic focus on physical production infrastructure has elevated its status from content distributor to anchor tenant in the UK’s studio economy. In 2023, Amazon acquired the historic Bray Film Studios in Berkshire—once home to Hammer Horror and now undergoing redevelopment to support modern production standards. More recently, Amazon signed a long-term lease with Pinewood Group’s Shepperton Studios for exclusive use of newly constructed sound stages, giving it priority access to one of the most in-demand film production hubs in Europe.

In addition to those flagship sites, Amazon has expanded filming to regional locations such as FirstStage Studios and Leith Studios in Edinburgh, enhancing geographic diversity in its creative footprint. These distributed investments help support the UK government’s goal of decentralising creative employment and rebalancing the sector away from London-centric production. Institutional investors and media economists see this approach as a way to sustain regional economic multipliers, create long-term jobs, and stimulate local service industries including construction, catering, post-production, and visual effects.

What impact is Amazon having on UK jobs, training, and media workforce development in the creative sector?

Amazon is not only investing in production assets—it is also injecting capital into skills development and training. In 2023, Amazon launched the Prime Video Pathway, a £10 million workforce development programme aimed at supporting new and growing talent in the UK film and television industries. The initiative offers on-set training, mentorship, and access to job shadowing experiences, with a strong emphasis on supporting freelancers—who make up over 70% of the UK’s screen sector workforce.

Through partnerships with organisations like ScreenSkills and regional screen agencies, Amazon has helped build pathways for underrepresented groups including women, neurodivergent creatives, and people from lower-income backgrounds. The Prime Video Pathway programme now sits alongside government-aligned initiatives such as the British Film Institute’s Skills Review and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s creative workforce reforms.

Amazon Studios has also participated in co-investment initiatives that provide paid placements on flagship series, contributing to the development of below-the-line crew in roles such as camera operation, editing, set design, and production coordination. Institutional sentiment suggests this commitment is helping to address the UK’s growing crew shortage—a constraint that had threatened to cap the country’s ability to absorb rising demand for original content.

Which productions and partnerships are strengthening Amazon’s creative foothold across the UK?

Amazon’s investment is backed by a strong production slate that spans genres, geographies, and partnerships. At Shepperton Studios, The Rings of Power continues to anchor Amazon’s global fantasy franchise strategy, with long-term filming committed through multiple seasons. Meanwhile, Amazon has diversified its output with Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock, filmed in Wales, and Lazarus, a Harlan Coben adaptation produced in Manchester.

In Edinburgh, productions at Leith Studios and FirstStage Studios have focused on character-driven drama and location-based shoots. These regional engagements are viewed as vital to local economic activity and also serve to internationalise Amazon’s content appeal through varied British landscapes and cultural backdrops.

Amazon’s broader creative strategy also includes publishing and music, where it maintains operations that support local authors, musicians, and production teams. Analysts note that Amazon’s vertical integration—from book rights to on-screen adaptation—gives it a unique structural advantage over traditional studios, particularly when it comes to IP development and talent retention.

How does Amazon’s media expansion align with UK industrial strategy and soft power goals?

The UK government has long viewed its creative industries as a strategic asset—one that blends economic value with international influence. The sector contributes over £100 billion to the UK economy annually and employs more than two million people. Amazon’s expansion in this domain supports the UK’s broader aims to grow its cultural exports, improve access to global platforms for British creators, and maintain competitive standing in the streaming era.

In particular, the government’s Global Screen Fund and post-Brexit production incentives have made the UK an attractive base for international investors. Amazon’s long-term leases and capital expenditure commitments reflect confidence in the UK’s creative infrastructure and regulatory environment. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy have both cited Amazon as a key participant in Britain’s “creative reindustrialisation,” especially as demand for content scales in the age of AI-generated media and immersive storytelling.

Moreover, Amazon’s decentralised production strategy aligns with UK regional development priorities, bringing jobs, investment, and visibility to areas beyond London. This resonates politically as well, supporting cultural diversity, job creation, and skills transfer in underserved creative hubs.

What is the institutional outlook for Amazon Studios in the UK creative market over the next five years?

Institutional sentiment toward Amazon’s position in the UK creative sector remains broadly positive. With production volumes increasing and studio demand outpacing available sound stages, Amazon’s long-term leases and ownership of key properties provide a strategic buffer against industry volatility. Its ability to vertically integrate creative IP, combine physical production with cloud-based post-production via AWS, and support freelance labour through structured training makes it uniquely positioned to weather the platform-driven shifts in global media.

From a workforce perspective, Amazon’s involvement is creating more predictable pipelines for junior and mid-career talent, a structural advantage in an industry historically known for precarious employment. Regional officials and film commissioners are also optimistic, with some already planning infrastructure upgrades in anticipation of Amazon-supported growth.

Looking ahead, Amazon Studios’ UK expansion is expected to play a critical role in sustaining Britain’s creative economy, especially as AI and immersive content reshape how stories are told, distributed, and monetised. Its media investments are likely to continue growing in parallel with its logistics, AI, and cloud infrastructure footprint—offering a holistic model for multinational engagement in national creative development.