Popular free Amazon Fire Stick TV app is closing down in major shake-up – what it means for your favourite hit shows
AMAZON has revealed that its free streaming TV and movie app is closing down as part of a major overhaul.
Freevee is the company’s free alternative to Prime Video, with classic and original shows including Judy Justice and the reboot of Aussie soap Neighbours.
The service started out life under the IMDb brand – which Amazon also owns – five years ago, before becoming Freevee in April 2022.
Although the app and brand is disappearing, the shows and movies are not.
Instead, they will live within Prime Video with a free label.
Freevee content was already available through both apps and there had been murmurs earlier this year that the name could be axed after Prime introduced ads.
More recently, users had speculated that Freevee may be on its way out after noticing that the logo no longer appeared before each episode within the Prime app – and was swapped for the latter.
“We have built Prime Video into a first-stop entertainment destination where customers can personalise their viewing experience by streaming exclusive Prime member entertainment produced by Amazon MGM Studios, licensed movies and series, content from other services as an add-on subscription, live sports, blockbuster movies and series to rent or buy, FAST [free, ad-supported streaming TV] channels and the complete Amazon Freevee content offering,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Sun.
“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, 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.”
Amazon previously denied that it planned to close Freevee after a report in February.
At the time, the firm told The Sun that Freevee “remains an important streaming offering”.
Freevee’s other original shows include crime Bosch: Legacy, which is due to end with a third and final series in 2025.
But one of the platform’s most high profile acquisition is Neighbours.
Amazon revived the beloved Australian soap after Channel 5 pulled the plug.
Around 400 episodes were reportedly ordered – the halfway mark on that was hit over the summer.
There’s been no announcement about whether the show will be renewed beyond this.
Neighbours regularly appears in the UK top 10 watched shows.
GET MORE FREE TV
Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime don't come cheap - and year on year subscription costs seem to go up.
Fortunately there are loads of free streaming TV alternatives not everyone knows about.
Here are some free alternatives worth trying: