Amazon shuts down Freevee, its free video streaming service
What's the story
Amazon has announced the shutdown of Freevee, its free ad-supported video-on-demand service.
The platform, which offered original programming and over 100 originals from Prime Video, will be gradually retired in the coming weeks.
The content from Freevee will be merged into Prime Video as part of a strategic move from Amazon.
The ad-supported tier of Prime Video comes bundled with Amazon's Prime membership, which is priced at $15 a month (₹1,499 in India).
Strategic move
Amazon's strategy behind Freevee's discontinuation
An Amazon spokesperson told Variety that the decision to phase out Freevee branding was made "to deliver a simpler viewing experience for customers."
The representative further clarified that there will be no changes to the content available for Prime members.
Notably, Freevee has seen a number of rebrands since its debut as IMDb Freedive in January 2019.
The service reached its final stage under the Freevee name in April 2022.
Content accessibility
Amazon assures continued access to free streaming content
Despite the discontinuation of Freevee, Amazon has assured that a wide range of free streaming content will continue to be accessible for non-Prime members.
This includes select originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and an extensive library of FAST channels - all available on Prime Video.
The move is seen as part of Amazon's strategy to streamline its services and enhance user experience.