Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its free ad-supported streaming tv (FAST) service, because it heightens deal with promoting advertisements on its Prime Video subscription service.
Amazon, which has owned IMDb since 1998, launched Freevee as IMDb Freedive in 2019. The service let folks watch motion pictures and exhibits, together with Freevee originals, on demand with no subscription charge. Amazon’s streaming providing was additionally beforehand often known as IMDb TV and rebranded to Amazon Freevee in 2022.
According to a report from Deadline this week, Freevee is being “phased out over the coming weeks,” however a agency time limit hasn’t been shared publicly.
Explaining the transfer to Deadline, an Amazon spokesperson mentioned:
To ship a less complicated viewing expertise for purchasers, now we have determined to part out Freevee branding. There will likely be no change to the content material accessible for Prime members, and an enormous providing of free streaming content material will nonetheless be accessible for non-Prime members, together with choose Originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a wide range of licensed motion pictures and collection, and a broad library of FAST Channels – all accessible on Prime Video.
The shutdown additionally signifies that producers can now not pitch exhibits to Freevee as Freevee originals, and “any pending deals for such projects have been cancelled,” Deadline reported.
Freevee exhibits nonetheless accessible free of charge
Freevee authentic exhibits embrace Jury Duty, with James Marsden, Judy Justice, with Judge Judy Sheindlin, and Bosch: Legacy, a continuation of the Prime Video authentic collection Bosch. The Freevee originals are anticipated to be accessible to watch on Prime Video after Freevee closes. People will not want a Prime Video or Prime subscription so as to watch these exhibits. As of this writing, I used to be additionally in a position to play some Freevee authentic motion pictures with out logging in to a Prime Video or Prime account. Prime Video has additionally made some Prime Video originals, like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, accessible below a “Freevee” part in Prime Video the place folks can watch free of charge in the event that they log in to an Amazon (Prime Video or Prime subscriptions not required) account. Before this week’s announcement, Prime Video and Freevee have been already sharing some content material.