After months of waiting, Amazon has finally set a definitive end date for its Freevee streaming service and app.
Users are now seeing shutdown notifications when opening the app, confirming the free streaming platform will disappear completely by August 2025, in the UK and other parts of the world.
Don’t panic, though – there’s a solution for those who like Freevee’s content, with some of it moving across to Prime Video, where it will remain free to watch, albeit with a few caveats.
- September Update: Freevee is now officially gone.
What Exactly is Freevee?
If you’ve never used Freevee, it’s Amazon’s free streaming service that’s had a somewhat confusing journey over the years.
Originally launched in the US as Freedive back in 2019, it then became IMDb TV before finally landing on the Freevee name when it properly launched in the UK in 2022.
Despite all the name changes, the service has always offered the same basic proposition: free, ad-supported streaming that doesn’t require you to pay for a subscription.
Freevee really made waves in the UK when it became the exclusive home for the reboot of Neighbours after Channel 5 dropped the beloved Aussie soap.
This was a pretty big deal at the time, showing Amazon was willing to splash some cash on original content specifically for their free platform (sadly, the show got cancelled AGAIN recently).
Beyond Neighbours, Freevee has been home to other originals like Bosch: Legacy and the rather brilliant Jury Duty, plus a decent library of older films, TV shows, and those FAST channels (Free Ad-Supported Television) that let you watch linear-style TV without a satellite dish or aerial.
The Final Countdown
This week, users firing up the Freevee app are being greeted with a clear message about the service’s imminent demise:
“Prime Video is the new exclusive home for Freevee TV shows, movies and Live TV.
“The Freevee app will be accessible until August 2025. Continue watching your favorite Free Originals and our library of hit movies, shows, and live TV on Prime Video for free, no subscription needed.”
While most of Freevee’s content has already made its way over to Prime Video (where you’ll spot it under the “Watch for Free” label), the standalone app has continued to work just fine – until now.
This shutdown is happening worldwide, but it’s particularly significant for us here in the UK where many viewers have come to rely on the service for their daily dose of Ramsay Street drama and other exclusive content.
A Long Time Coming
When rumours about Freevee’s potential demise first started swirling in early 2024, Amazon was quick to shut them down.
At that time, they told us here at Cord Busters that “Freevee remains an important streaming offering” and insisted no changes were planned.
Fast forward to November 2024, and the tune had changed dramatically. Amazon officially announced plans to phase out the Freevee brand, though they were vague about exactly when the app would stop working.
Their spokesperson told Deadline at the time: “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.”
The writing was probably on the wall when Amazon introduced adverts to Prime Video in January 2024, which started to blur the lines between their paid and free services.
Now, nine months after that initial announcement, we finally know exactly when the Freevee app will vanish for good.
What This Means for You
If you’re a regular Freevee user, you’ll need to get yourself sorted before August to keep watching your favourites:
- Download the Prime Video app if you don’t already have it (it’s supported on almost every streaming device and Smart TV in the UK)
- Sign in with your Amazon account (or create a free one if needed)
- Look for the “Watch for Free” label on content
The good news is that all the shows and films you’ve been enjoying on Freevee should still be available without requiring a Prime subscription.
The bad news? You’ll still have to sit through those advert breaks – some things never change.
The Future of Free Streaming at Amazon
While Amazon keeps insisting they’re committed to keeping Freevee’s content free to watch, I can’t help but wonder about their long-term plans now they’re killing off the standalone app.
Without a dedicated platform to promote, and the free stuff kind of hidden inside Prime Video, will they really keep investing in expensive original productions like Neighbours and Bosch: Legacy that don’t directly convince people to fork out for Prime subscriptions? (Well, we already know the answer regarding Neighbours).
The timing is particularly interesting as the free, ad-supported streaming market is actually booming right now.
With Tubi making its return to the UK and services like Pluto TV and ITVX’s free tier pulling in viewers who are fed up with paying for multiple subscriptions, competition in this space is heating up.
Amazon’s move, for now, seems to be about streamlining their offerings and positioning Prime Video as your one-stop shop for both premium and free content.
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