Why is Amazon Prime shutting down Freevee?

Freevee has made watching more movies and TV shows – with ads – even easier, but Amazon Prime has officially axed it. What’s happening, and how will the changes affect you?

If you’ve ever been scrolling Prime Video late at night and stumbled across some binge-worthy TV show you’ve never heard of before, chances are Freevee was hosting it.

Created in 2019 under the name IMDb Freedive, subscribers have gained access to its content through their typical Prime subscription. Original titles include Bosch: Legacy and reality TV such as Judy Justice (think Judge Judy, just in the 2020s).

However, Amazon is now pulling the plug on the streaming service, with Freevee being discontinued “in the coming weeks.” But why is this happening, and where’s all the content going?

Freevee is closing for one simple reason

According to Amazon, Freeve is closing in order to make their customer service more “simplistic.” However, changes won’t be implemented for another couple of weeks.

Freevee

“To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Rumors about Freevee’s closure first circulated in February 2024, with Amazon outright denying any changes. However, this is no longer the case as of November.

The channel changed its name from IMDB TV – already its second iteration – in 2022, in order to “distinguish its association.”

However, Prime Video launched an ad tier in January 2024, with subscribers now having to pay $3 in order to go ad-free.

Here’s where there could be another unofficial reason why Freevee closed. With the basic Prime Video ad subscription functioning exactly how Freevee did before it was introduced, offering both together now seems redundant.

Aside from its branding, there is now no distinction between the two.

What does this mean for Prime Video users?

There’s good news for subscribers – existing content won’t be affected. In fact, the only difference you might notice is a lack of branding.

Freevee

Amazon’s spokesperson confirmed, “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.”

Subscribers won’t need to pay a fee to access this either – it’s all included within the original subscription.

Content currently labeled as Freevee will be shown to non-Prime customers as “Watch for Free” on detail pages.

Check out more new movies streaming this month alongside new TV shows, as well as upcoming true crime and documentaries you need to watch.