Amazon is winding down its free ad-supported streaming service Freevee and folding its content into its primary platform Prime Video.

Realscreen understands that there are no layoffs associated with the move, as executives working within the Freevee division have joined other departments or will do so going forward.
Freevee was launched in the spring of 2022 as a rebrand of Amazon’s free streaming service IMDb TV. Among its programming successes were the hybrid scripted/unscripted sitcom Jury Duty, and the courtroom reality series Judy Justice. Other unscripted programming on the platform included Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis and America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation.

That content has also been available via Prime Video as of late, and now, with the imminent demise of Freevee, it will continue to be available to the platform’s users free of charge.

In the past, Freevee has greenlit shows like the coming-of-age dramedy Beyond Black Beauty and unscripted series Play-Doh Squished. The former is a copro between Amazon Studios, Toronto’s Sinking Ship Entertainment and Toronto-based Leif Films, while the latter is a copro between Amazon and Entertainment One.

In May 2023, Freevee also acquired the U.S. rights to Toronto-based Look Mom! Productions’ adult animated comedy Gary and His Demons (pictured).

According to a statement supplied to Realscreen by an Amazon spokesperson, the decision to “phase out Freevee branding” was made “to deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers.”
The company added: “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.”

At the time of Freevee’s launch, Amazon MGM Studios topper Jennifer Salke touted Amazon’s commitment to “bringing our audiences premium, free-to-consumer content,” adding, “We’re looking forward to building on this momentum with an increasing slate of inventive and broadly appealing Originals, and are excited to establish Amazon Freevee as the premier AVOD service with content audiences crave.”

However, months after the launch of Freevee, Prime Video rival Netflix launched its ad tier. Prime followed suit, launching its ad-supported plan in January of this year.

That move set the rumor mill in motion, with AdWeek reporting in February that Amazon was planning on “sunsetting” Freevee in the second quarter of 2024. At the time, Amazon denied the report, saying the service “remains an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and originals, all for free.”

This story originally appeared in Realscreen

Image courtesy of Blue Ant International