Freevee to Shut Down in August, Will Be Folded Into Prime Video

Amazon is consolidating its streaming services. The free ad-supported Freevee will no longer be available starting in August, according to a note on the Apple app store. You’ll still be able to find free movies and TV shows in Prime Video, however.

This isn’t really a surprise. For months, Prime Video has included movies, shows, and virtual live channels that were previously only available within Freevee.

Unfortunately, this only serves to clutter the already-cluttered Prime Video user interface. It’s frustrating to scroll through the menus, find a movie or show, and discover that there’s no way to watch without commercials, or that you may need to pay for one of Prime Video’s premium channels to be able to access it.

Freevee was previously called IMDb TV. IMDb TV launched in 2019 and was an early pioneer in free video. It rebranded as Freevee in 2022.

Freevee’s high point was the original series “Jury Duty.” The wildly popular reality prank experiment followed the model of “The Joe Schmo Show” – a team of actors created an elaborate scenario for one unwitting participant. The show was nominated for three Emmys and won a Peabody Award.

If you have Prime Video, you won’t notice much change from what you’re already experiencing. If you previously used Freevee, you’ll be able to access the same content by using Prime Video without paying, but it may be harder to sort out the free titles from those that require a paid subscription.

As subscriber growth slows, streaming services are doing everything they can to keep users on their platforms longer to serve more ads. That’s why Netflix is adding the free content from NASA+, Disney+ has added live virtual channels, and live TV providers like Sling TV and DIRECTV have their own free services that can exist within the paid platform.

Not only are streamers trying to get you to choose their platform and stay longer, they’re doing everything they can to prevent you from going down the YouTube rabbit hole. More than 10% of all TV viewing is YouTube now, and their volume of user-generated content easily overwhelms what can be created by traditional studios.