Amazon Prime struggling to find its breakout hit to match Netflix

Amazon Prime Film Studios appears to be struggling having been unable to produce a box office hit since the end of 2017.

The division has so far been responsible for ten movies that have been released in theaters - all of them floundering.

Amazon.com Inc hired Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment, to run its television and movie studio in February of this year.

Her hiring ended months of limbo as its entertainment division switched from a lineup heavy on art-house fare to more broader-appealing hits.

Amazon's former studio chief, Roy Price, resigned after a sexual harassment allegation. Price has contested the claim. Meanwhile, veteran exec Bob Berney is leaving his post as chief of marketing and distribution.

Salke had overseen the development of comedies and dramas for NBC as president since 2011. She was behind shows such as 'This is Us,' 'The Blacklist,' and 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,' and previously was executive vice president of creative affairs at Twentieth Century Fox Television.

However, despite her 'impeccable reputation as a big leader who emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and teamwork,' she appears so have so far made little impact in Amazon's bottom line according to the Hollywood Reporter.  

Amazon's video budget ballooned to an estimated $4.5 billion or more in 2017, and the company has said it plans to spend more this year. It is seeking content that can attract viewers to its Prime streaming and shopping service around the world.    

Amazon's latest film release, Late Night, bombed at the box office and has so far only brought in $11 million.

It was the first movie green-lit by Salke who was instrumental in the film's acquisition for the studio.   

Salke, alongside her execs splashed out $47 million on five films at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival including  films Brittany Runs a Marathon and a documentary, One Child Nation.