NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Krishan Bhatia, a longtime advertising executive who helped shape the future of digital ad sales at NBCUniversal and Amazon, is leaving the tech giant after just one year. His departure marks a shift for Amazon Ads as the company continues its push into streaming, live sports, and upfront advertising.
Amazon confirmed the news on Friday in a memo to staff. “Krishan Bhatia has decided to leave Amazon. We’re grateful for his contributions to the Amazon Ads organization, and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” a company spokesperson said.
Bhatia joined Amazon in April 2024 as vice president of global video advertising and partnerships. He was tasked with building a strong ad sales team to expand Amazon’s presence on Madison Avenue and in the annual upfront marketplace. At Amazon, he led efforts to attract sponsors for Prime Video, Twitch, Freevee, and the company’s growing sports portfolio.
Amazon staged its first high-profile upfront sales event in 2023, directly challenging legacy networks like NBCUniversal and Fox. The move showed Amazon’s ambition to compete with traditional broadcasters for billions in ad dollars.
Before Amazon, Bhatia spent more than a decade at NBCUniversal. There, he modernized audience measurement and helped build new revenue systems as the company moved deeper into e-commerce and data-driven advertising.
He also played a central role in the “joint industry committee,” a group that includes NBCUniversal, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, and TelevisaUnivision. The committee has pushed for new audience measurement tools and supported challengers like Comscore and VideoAmp against Nielsen’s dominance in TV ratings.
Bhatia was widely regarded as a close ally of Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal’s former ad-sales chief. Yaccarino later became CEO of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, before stepping down earlier this year.
Amazon Ads has become one of the company’s fastest-growing business segments. The company reported that it “exceeded our own expectations in upfront commitments” this year. Amazon credited the strong results to advertiser demand for its newly acquired NBA rights, which the company said boosted ad sales in the latest upfront cycle.
The streaming giant has been investing heavily in live sports, original programming, and ad-supported video to attract more advertisers. Prime Video now streams NFL Thursday Night Football and is set to expand into NBA coverage. Twitch and Freevee also serve as major platforms for ad sales growth.
Alan Moss, Amazon Ads’ vice president of global sales, praised Bhatia when he joined the company. “I’m excited about the impact his wealth of experience in the media and advertising business will have for our customers in the streaming TV space,” Moss said at the time.
It is not clear where Bhatia will go next. Industry watchers are closely following his next move, given his experience at two of the biggest players in media and advertising. With his background in measurement systems and partnerships, he is expected to remain a major figure in the evolving ad-tech and streaming landscape.
Bhatia’s departure comes at a time when Amazon is working to cement its role as a dominant player in video advertising. The company’s strategy has focused on blending e-commerce, data-driven insights, and premium video content to deliver value to advertisers.
Bhatia’s career highlights the changing face of the ad industry. Traditional broadcasters once controlled upfront advertising, but streaming platforms and tech companies are now disrupting the market. Amazon’s aggressive push into upfront sales has forced media companies to adapt quickly.
At NBCUniversal, Bhatia helped champion new ways to measure audiences beyond Nielsen’s long-standing system. At Amazon, he carried that expertise into a marketplace where advertisers demand greater accuracy, accountability, and return on investment.
Even as he leaves Amazon, his impact on digital advertising remains significant. Whether through partnerships, measurement tools, or innovative sales strategies, Bhatia has played a key role in shaping how brands connect with audiences across TV and streaming.
