Farewell, Freevee Amazon ends free ad-supported streaming service after Prime Video with ads debuts Selling subscriptions to Prime Video with ads is more lucrative for Amazon. Scharon Harding Nov 13, 2024 3:56 pm | 15 A shot from the Freevee original series Bosch: Legacy. Credit: Amazon Freevee/YouTube A shot from the Freevee original series Bosch: Legacy. Credit: Amazon Freevee/YouTube Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreAmazon is shutting down Freevee, its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service, as it heightens focus on selling ads on its Prime Video subscription service.Amazon, which has owned IMDb since 1998, launched Freevee as IMDb Freedive in 2019. The service let people watch movies and shows, including Freevee originals, on demand without a subscription fee. Amazon's streaming offering was also previously known as IMDb TV and rebranded to Amazon Freevee in 2022.According to a report from Deadline this week, Freevee is being phased out over the coming weeks, but a firm closing date hasnt been shared publicly.Explaining the move to Deadline, an Amazon spokesperson said: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.The shutdown also means that producers can no longer pitch shows to Freevee as Freevee originals, and any pending deals for such projects have been cancelled, Deadline reported.Freevee shows still available for freeFreevee original shows include Jury Duty, with James Marsden, Judy Justice, with Judge Judy Sheindlin, and Bosch:Legacy, a continuation of the Prime Video original series Bosch. The Freevee originals are expected to be available to watch on Prime Video after Freevee closes. People won't need a Prime Video or Prime subscription in order to watch these shows. As of this writing, I was also able to play some Freevee original movies without logging in to a Prime Video or Prime account. Prime Video has also made some Prime Video originals, like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, available under a Freevee section in Prime Video where people can watch for free if they log in to an Amazon (Prime Video or Prime subscriptions not required) account. Before this week's announcement, Prime Video and Freevee were already sharing some content.Bloomberg reported this week that some Freevee shows will remain free to watch due to contractual prohibitions. Its unclear what might happen to such Freevee original content after said contractual obligations conclude.Freevee became redundant, confusingAmazon's FAST service seemed redundant after Amazon launched the Prime Video ad tier in January. With the subscription tier making money from subscription fees and ads shown on Prime Video with ads, it made little sense for Amazon to continue with Freevee, which only has the latter revenue stream.Pushing people from streaming off of Freevee to Prime Video could help Amazon attract people to Prime Video or Amazon's e-commerce site and simplify tracking what people are streaming. Meanwhile, Amazon plans to show more ads on Prime Video in 2025 than it did this year.Two anonymous sources told advertising trade publication Adweek in February that the two services were confusing subscribers and ad buyers. At the time, the publication claimed that Amazon was laying the groundwork" to kill Freevee "for months. It cited two anonymous people familiar with the matter who pointed to moves like Amazon shifting Freevee technical workers to working on the Prime Video ads infrastructure and Amazon laying off Freevee marketing and strategy employees. In February, Amazon denied that it was ending Freevee, saying it was "an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and originals, all for free, per Adweek.Freevees demise comes as streaming providers try navigating a booming market where profits remain elusive and ad businesses are still developing. Some industry stakeholders and analysts are expecting more consolidation in the streaming industry as competition intensifies and streamers get increasingly picky about constantly rising subscription fees.The end of Freevee also marks another product in the Amazon graveyard. Other products that Amazon has killed since 2023 includeAstro for Business robots, Amazon Halo fitness trackers, theAlexa Built-in smartphone app, and the Amazon Drive file storage service.Scharon HardingSenior Product ReviewerScharon HardingSenior Product Reviewer Scharon is Ars Technicas Senior Product Reviewer writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer technology, including laptops, mechanical keyboards, and monitors. Shes based in Brooklyn. 15 Comments Prev story