Amazon issues statement on rumours it's removing thousands of free TV shows and films
It's been a good few weeks since Amazon introduced the controversial decision to bring in ads to Prime Video.
And users of the service have been up in arms again this week over fresh rumours it's now removing a free service where you can watch thousands of TV shows and films without charge.
Adverts in the UK were introduced to Amazon Prime Video at the beginning of February in a move that didn't go down too well with subscribers.
Advert
Costs remain the same if you accept the ads, setting you back £8.99 a month.
But it's an extra £2.99 if you choose to get rid of the advert breaks, which has annoyed some people.
Amazon said the move was necessary to 'allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time'.
Now, just a few weeks later, the latest rumour is that Amazon is set to take another move in a blow to users.
According to AdWeek, Amazon is planning to 'sunset' its free, ad-supported service that offers you thousands of free movies and television programmes regardless of if you pay for Prime Video or not.
But in Layman's terms, it means Amazon is reportedly set to put a slow end to the service, commonly known as Amazon Freevee.
The service has tonnes of great content, including Parks and Recreation, Madmen, The West Wing, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Donnie Darko, The Road, and Jackie Brown.
Reports claim the service will end before the summer is over, with one source telling AdWeek: "If the question is whether or not Amazon will persist with two stand-alone streaming services.
"I’m certain the answer is no."
You might know Amazon Freevee by another name, with it rebranded from IMDb TV in April 2022.
But Amazon has now spoken out about the rumours and has been quite to the point on the matter.
A spokesperson said: "There are no changes to Freevee.
"Amazon Freevee remains an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and Originals, all for free."
Despite Amazon's rebuttal of the rumours, insiders have said the company has been laying the foundations for the eventual end to Freevee for some time.
Freevee has, for Amazon, been utilised to try and upsell Prime Video subscriptions to those who use the free-to-air service.
Social media commentary has been mixed, with some not able to understand why Amazon would ditch the service.
One said: "It honestly wouldn't make sense for Amazon to exit the FAST (free, ad-supported streaming) space at a time when it's looking to become an ever bigger ad market giant.
"Could Freevee get (another) new name or exist only in the Prime app? Sure! That'd make sense. Full retreat? Why?"
Topics: Amazon, Amazon Prime, TV and Film, Money, Jeff Bezos
Tom Earnshaw