It looks like Amazon’s free, ad-supported streaming service Freevee is the first casualty of Prime Video’s own foray into ads.
According to Adweek, the decision to shutter Freevee is part of a “broader effort to focus its advertising and product efforts on Prime Video.” Amazon’s flagship streaming service automatically downgraded subscribers to an ad-supported tier in late January, forcing customers to pony up an additional $2.99 per month to stay ad-free.
“If the question is whether or not Amazon will persist with two stand-alone streaming services, I’m certain the answer is no,” said one of Adweek reporter Mark Stenberg’s sources. Another source added, “Freevee is not long for this world.”
In a statement provided to Deadline, Amazon has denied that any changes to Freevee are imminent. “There are no changes to Freevee,” it reads. “Amazon Freevee remains an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and originals, all for free.”
Earlier this month, a California man filed a class action lawsuit (via USA Today) alleging that Prime Video’s change in terms violates consumer protection laws in California and Washington prohibiting a company from engaging in “unfair” or “deceptive” business acts and practices.
Freevee was rebranded from IMDb TV in 2022, and serves as the home for the breakout series Jury Duty, which we named one of the best TV shows of 2023. As TVLine points out, some of the service’s series have already been moved to Prime Video for upcoming seasons, including Leverage: Redemption and American Rust.
The future fate of Jury Duty is currently unclear.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a statement from Amazon provided to Deadline.