Amazon has announced it will officially close Freevee, its free ad-supported video streaming service initially launched nearly five years ago under the IMDb brand.
The service will be phased out over the coming weeks, and all content previously available on Freevee will be incorporated into Amazon’s Prime Video platform.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson explained, “We have built Prime Video into a first-stop entertainment destination where customers can personalize their viewing experience by streaming exclusive Prime member entertainment produced by Amazon MGM Studios, licensed movies and series, content from other services as an add-on subscription, live sports, blockbuster movies and series to rent or buy, FAST [free, ad-supported streaming TV] channels, and the complete Amazon Freevee content offering.”
To simplify the viewing experience, Amazon has decided to discontinue the Freevee brand. Prime members will continue to have full access to content without changes, while non-Prime users will still enjoy a wide selection of free streaming content.
This includes select Amazon MGM Studios originals, various licensed movies and series, and an extensive library of FAST channels, all now accessible through the Prime Video interface and labeled as “Watch for Free” in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Austria.
Freevee originally launched in January 2019 under the name IMDb Freedive before rebranding as IMDb TV later that year, and it has since been part of the Amazon MGM Studios group.
Its original series lineup includes notable titles like the Emmy-nominated “Jury Duty,” “Bosch: Legacy,” “Neighbours,” “Alex Rider” Season 2, “Leverage: Redemption,” and “Judy Justice” with Judge Judy Sheindlin.
Freevee has also provided free access to dozens of popular Prime Video originals such as “Reacher,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “The Wheel of Time,” “A League of Their Own,” “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” and “The Grand Tour.”
Speculation regarding its future surfaced earlier this year when Prime Video introduced ads by default in January, though Amazon previously denied claims that Freevee would shut down in the second quarter of 2024.
