Reports of Freevee's Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Freevee may live to see another day, after all. As rumors of Freevee's demise swirl, Amazon has stepped in to refute a new AdWeek report claiming that the company plans to sundown the free, ad-supported service in the coming weeks.

Amazon characterized the report as inaccurate, with a spokesperson telling Primetimer via email, "There are no changes to Freevee. Amazon Freevee remains an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and Originals, all for free."

On Wednesday, AdWeek reported that the decision is part of Amazon's ongoing effort to allocate more resources to Prime Video, which recently launched its own ad-supported tier (much to the dismay of creatives and customers alike). "If the question is whether or not Amazon will persist with two stand-alone streaming services," a source close to the situation told the publication, "I'm certain the answer is no."

Though Amazon has denied rumors of a looming shutdown, Freevee's long-term future remains uncertain. While the service, which was rebranded from IMDb TV in 2022, has always been marketed as an alternative option for viewers without Prime subscriptions, certain titles stream on both platforms, creating confusion about what, exactly, is a Freevee title, and what's a Prime Video title. As AdWeek notes, Freevee also generates revenue from just one source (advertisements), whereas Prime Video's ad-supported tier makes money by encouraging Prime Video customers to upgrade — users can pay an additional $3/month for a commercial-free experience — in addition to serving them ads.

And as TVLine reports, several shows that were originally earmarked as Freevee originals, including American Rust and Leverage: Redemption, have been shifted to Prime Video ahead of their respective returns. (Freevee saved American Rust when it was canceled by Showtime after one season, while Leverage: Redemption dropped its first two seasons on Freevee before moving to Prime Video for Season 3.)

Moves like these only reinforce the sense that Amazon is deemphasizing Freevee as it beefs up its investment in Prime Video's ad-supported tier. That may make sense from a business standpoint, but creatively, it comes as a disappointment: Since its rebrand, Freevee has consistently released compelling and innovative originals, from coming-of-age drama High School to last year's Jury Duty and Primo, both of which made our 10 Best TV Shows of 2023 list. For now, viewers can take comfort in the fact that shows like these aren't going away — even if Primo has yet to be renewed for Season 2 — but if the past year has taught us anything, it's that nothing is guaranteed in the shifting streaming landscape.

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.