Here's Why Amazon Is Discontinuing Its FreeVee Streaming TV Service

Amazon has several brands and services under its belt. For instance, there are platforms like Audible and Amazon Music where you can listen to books and enjoy your favorite tracks, respectively. The company also owns two streaming platforms, Prime Video and Freevee. While Prime Video is over a decade old, Freevee is comparatively new, launched only in 2019. However, Amazon has decided to shut down Freevee and focus solely on Prime Video.

Amazon recently started showing a notice in the Freevee app informing all its users that the platform will only be accessible until August 2025. Fortunately, Amazon is not dumping the Freevee content. According to the notice, all the Freevee originals, movies, shows, and live TV content will be accessible via Prime Video for free. That means you don't need to purchase the Prime Video subscription to watch Freevee content on it. But the main question here is why Amazon is discontinuing its Freevee streaming TV service. Here's everything you need to know.

One of the major differences between Prime Video and Freevee is that the former is a subscription-based platform, whereas the latter is completely free. You might now think that Amazon must be facing huge financial loss because of Freevee, as the platform also has a vast library of original content. But that's not true. Amazon has been able to offer Freevee for free because the platform supports ads.

However, Amazon introduced ads to Prime Video as well in 2024 with the intention to generate over $7.1 billion per year by 2026. Following this decision, there was no difference left between Prime Video and Freevee other than their content. That's why, to deliver a simpler and one-stop viewing experience for users, Amazon decided to close Freevee permanently and migrate all its content to Prime Video.

All the Freevee content will be available under the "Watch for Free" section in the Prime Video app. Once Freevee viewers start using the Prime Video app, they may be tempted to watch its premium content, such as The Boys, Lord of the Rings, and more. For this, they will need to purchase the Prime Video subscription, which will eventually help Amazon generate more revenue. Overall, it's a win-win situation for Amazon, as its revenue is set to receive a boost not only through Prime Video ads but also through Freevee viewers who may consider purchasing a Prime Video subscription after viewing its premium content.

That said, the Freevee in-app notice doesn't mention any particular date in August after which the service will become inaccessible. Additionally, the Watch for Free section will only be visible to Prime Video users residing in the US, UK, Germany, and Austria, as Freevee is currently only available in these regions.