SEATTLE, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
Amazon has confirmed it is shutting down Freevee, its free ad-supported streaming service, and folding it into Prime Video.
Freevee original programming such as originals as “Jury Duty,” “Bosch: Legacy” and “Judy Justice,” which stars Judge Judy Sheindlin, will be phased out over the coming weeks. Past episodes will be available on Prime Video.
Prime members won’t see changes to the content available and non-Prime members will still be able to get some free streaming content.
“To deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers, we have decided to phase out Freevee branding,” an Amazon spokesperson said to MyNorthwest in a statement Wednesday night. “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.”
Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety were among the first media outlets to report the shuttering of Freevee.
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Freevee’s programming will remain available at no charge for users who don’t subscribe to Prime Video, which is included with an Amazon Prime membership.
Freevee originally launched as IMDb TV. Amazon changed its name in April 2022. The platform’s shutdown comes about 10 months after Prime Video introduced an ad tier, which is now the default for users. Prime Video users must pay an additional $3 per month to go ad free.
Content currently labeled as Freevee will be designated as “Watch for Free” on Prime Video detail pages.
Prime Video is developing as a hybrid destination for both Prime members and non-members, offering new and old movies to rent or buy, along with a library of free streaming content.
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“Jury Duty,” which starred James Marsden, secured four Emmy nominations for Freevee, including one for outstanding comedy series. Other notable series that originated at Freevee include “Bosch: Legacy,” a a sequel of the popular Prime Video series “Bosch,” starring Titus Welliver, and “Leverage: Redemption,” another sequel series that picked up from the events of the drama “Leverage” that aired on TNT from 2008-2012 and starred Timothy Hutton and Aldis Hodge.
No layoffs are expected. Freevee executives will be integrated into various divisions within Amazon. Freevee’s content team has already been integrated into Amazon MGM Studios, and its business team is part of Prime Video.
Contributing: Steve Coogan
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X here and email him here.