Amazon is shuttering its free, ad-supported streaming service, Freevee, Deadline reported on Tuesday. The company plans to shut the service down over the coming weeks in countries where it’s currently offered, specifically the US, UK, Germany and Austria.
Customers will still be able to access Freevee content, however, in the Prime Video streaming app, whether they have an Amazon Prime account or not. Original programming such as Jury Duty, Alex Rider and Judy Justice will stream via Prime Video along with other content under the Freevee umbrella. If you do not have a Prime Video account, you’ll see titles marked as “Watch for Free” when you open the app.
“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,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to CNET.
“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.”
It’s unclear when the Freevee migration will be completed for customers in the US.
Initially launched in 2019 as IMDb Freedrive, then IMDb TV, the platform was rebranded as Freevee in 2022. Since then, Amazon built a slate of original and licensed titles that include Bosch: Legacy, The Lego Movie, The Good Wife, Shameless, Bewitched and Project Runway. The streaming service also includes some Amazon originals like the first three seasons of The Boys and a roster of live FAST channels that stream 24/7.
The move comes as Amazon ramps up new upgrades to Prime Video, such as its AI-powered X-ray recap feature and a redesign that rolled out this past summer.
For more news about streaming, check out our coverage on what it’s like to stream Prime Video with ads, our NFL guide and free movies to watch this month.
Read More: Freevee Is Ending. What It Means for Free Streaming on Prime Video
