The Freevee era is ending. The Amazon streaming service that allowed viewers to watch original and classic TV shows and movies (including Jury Duty and Bosch: Legacy) with no subscription and at no cost, instead opting to feature ads, is being shut down according to multiple outlets.
These free, ad-supported streaming services (FAST) have grown in popularity in recent years (others include Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel), but Freevee, which was formerly known as IMDb TV, has been one of the biggest thanks to its backing by Amazon. So what does this mean for fans of Freevee moving forward?
In reality, outside of the Freevee brand going away and its standalone platform being shut down, most of what Freevee offers is going to continue to be available, it’ll now just all be under the Prime Video banner.
For viewers where Freevee is available — the US, UK, Germany and Austria — all of Freevee’s free content will be moved to Prime Video under an umbrella named “Watch for Free.” You won’t have to be a Prime Video subscriber to access some of this content, as non-Prime users will be able to find and watch the content on the platform.
In a statement provided to Variety, an Amazon rep said, “To deliver a simple viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding.”
That’s the broad spectrum, here’s a deeper look at some of the other questions you may have regarding Freevee’s shuttering.
When is Freevee shutting down?
A specific shutdown date for Freevee hasn’t been announced. As of publication on November 13, Prime Video still has a specific section touting Freevee content, the Freevee standalone platform still works and content that was available through Freevee on Prime still carries the brand.
Rather than a swift ending of the brand, reports say Freevee will be phased out over the next several weeks. So we’d venture to guess that possibly by the end of November, but almost certainly by the end of 2024, the Freevee brand and platform are likely to be shut down.
What Freevee content is going to be available on Prime Video?
Exactly what Freevee content is available to you moving forward may depend on whether or not you’re a subscriber to Prime Video. In a statement from the Amazon rep to Variety, “There will be no change to content available for Prime members, and a vast offering of free streaming content will still be accessible for non-Prime members.”
Basically, if you already pay a monthly subscription for Prime Video, anything and everything that Freevee had is going to be available on Prime Video (as it is currently). For those who enjoyed Freevee for free, with no subscription to Prime Video, the statement seems to imply that there may be some restrictions on content available to you. Now, there are no specifics as to what content would be restricted to non-Prime subscribers, but the statement specifically cites they will still offer select originals from Amazon MGM Studios, licensed movies and TV shows and a library of FAST channels.
Some of the Amazon MGM Studios originals that have been made available on Freevee in the past have included A League of Their Own, Bosch, Mozart in the Jungle, Reacher, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Wheel of Time and more.
At this time we also have no reason to believe that already released Freevee originals won’t continue to be available at no cost to all viewers. That includes Bosch: Legacy (what this will mean for who can watch Bosch: Legacy season 3 though is TBD), Emmy-nominated Jury Duty, Australian soap Neighbours, Leverage: Redemption and more.
For more information on these shows' eventual new home, check out our guide on Prime Video.
