So long IMDb TV, it was nice knowing you. Welcome, Freevee. Amazon announced that it will be rebranding its ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) platform IMDb TV as Freevee (it rhymes with TV, get it?) beginning on April 27.
According to Amazon, the move is to further emphasize the fact that the service comes with no cost and to untangle it from any confusion with the TV and movie database IMDb.
“Over the past two years, we have seen tremendous growth for our AVOD service and are committed to bringing our audiences premium, free-to-consumer content,” the head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke said. “We’re looking forward to building on this momentum with an increasing slate of inventive and broadly appealing originals, and are excited to establish Freevee as the premier AVOD service with content audiences crave.”
The new name will also brings an investment in new content as Freevee will look to increase its slate of originals by 70% including “Bosch: Legacy,” a spin-off of Amazon Prime Video’s hit drama “Bosch.” The network will unveil more details about its programming plans at their NewFronts presentation next month, but they have also announced that “Sprung,” a new comedy from Greg Garcia and “High School,” a coming-of-age series from Tegan and Sara are in the works as well.
In addition to unscripted series, Freevee will also produce its own original movies, beginning with “Love Accidentally,” which will star Brenda Song and Aaron O’Connell.
“We have been delighted by the viewer response to our modern television network in a streaming landscape,” Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, Freevee’s co-heads of content and programming said in a statement. “With Freevee, our current and future viewers will discover a home that allows creative talent the freedom to tell impactful, entertaining, and inspiring stories; a service accessible to all and freed from time-slot restrictions and device availability; and a destination that provides customers with both new and familiar, escapist and engaging content — free of charge.”
Freevee’s new content will join IMDb TV’s existing lineup, which includes “Alex Rider,” “Leverage: Redemption,” “Judy Justice,” “Pretty Hard Cases,” “Corner Gas Animated,” and more. “Parks and Recreation” and “The Good Place” creator Mike Schur and author and journalist Shea Serrano are also teaming on an upcoming comedy called “Primo” for the service, and Dick Wolf is producing a half-hour procedural called “On Call” as well.
