Fans of Amazon-owned free streaming service Amazon Freevee will soon see the name vanish from screens as the ad-supported platform previously known as IMDb TV is set to shut down and merge with Amazon Prime Video. Freevee, which originally launched in 2019, has provided free content with ads in the same vein as Tubi and Pluto TV. In 2022, it was rebranded as Freevee, and began broadening its range of original programming to include series like Judy Justice and Bosch: Legacy alongside much-loved licensed shows and movies.
The platform became Amazon’s direct attempt to step into the free streaming market, alongside their paid subscription service, Prime Video. However, Amazon has recently been making changes to their online services, which has included introducing an ad-supported tier to their Prime Video service, and now, according to Deadline, the Freevee library will be bolstering Amazon’s content outside the paywall of their main subscriptions. In an attempt to make the viewer’s experience more streamlined, it seems it was only a matter of time before this change was made.
Amazon Studios has been investing a lot of money in its exclusive subscribers’ content, especially with shows such as The Rings of Power, The Boys, and Fallout. Now the integration of Freevee’s catalog of free titles will potentially draw more people to the Prime Video platform, who could see enough of what they like behind the paywall to take out a paid subscription. In the long term, it seems like a no-brainer decision.
There have been no details revealed yet of how shows currently being made for Freevee will be impacted, but all current content will still be available for free on Prime Video. For Freevee users, the change will see the use of the dedicated free platform being replaced with Amazon’s much larger library, and the need for a bit of work to track down a favorite movie that doesn’t come with a price tag among the many titles.
Amazon’s Explanation of the Closure of Freevee
While there is no change to the content that will still be available for viewers to watch for free, the main purpose of that closure of Freevee is to ensure that audiences get the best and easiest experience. In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said:
“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 Channels and the complete Amazon Freevee content offering. To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding. There will be no change to the content available for Prime members, and a vast offering of free streaming content will still be accessible for non-Prime members, including select Originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and a broad library of FAST Channels – all available on Prime Video.”
The changes to the Freevee library will take place soon in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Austria. The Freevee logo will be phased out, and content from the Freevee library will be labeled as “Watch for Free” on detail pages for viewers without a Prime Video subscription.
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