Freevee to Add 33 Free Streaming Channels from MGM, Warner Bros. Discovery; Including ‘Outer Limits,’ ‘Cake Boss,’ More
Freevee to Add 33 Free Streaming Channels from MGM, Warner Bros. Discovery; Including ‘Outer Limits,’ ‘Cake Boss,’ More
Just days after the report that Amazon was working towards introducing an ad-supported tier of Prime Video, the company is reassuring users that it has no plans to shutter its free ad-supported streaming service Freevee. Just the opposite, as according to The Hollywood Reporter Freevee is adding a total of 33 free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels.
Many of the channels come to Freevee from MGM, which Amazon acquired last spring. MGM channels soon to be available on Freevee include offerings dedicated to classic shows like “The Pink Panther,” “Stargate,” “Green Acres” and “The Outer Limits.” The timing for the introduction of these channels is notable, as recently it was reported that Amazon is working to create new titles based on some of these franchises.
Joining these channels will be content from Discovery, the cable channel owned by WBD. These channels will be heavily geared towards the unscripted reality content that Discovery is best known for, with shows like “Cake Boss,” “Ghost Brothers,” “Say Yes to the Dress,” and more headed to Freevee. With many seasons of episodes, all of these series make perfect sense for the type of lean-back linear experience that FAST channels provide.
WBD seems intent on maximizing its extensive catalog of titles in any way that it can. The company has already licensed FAST channels based on “Westworld” and other HBO content to streamers such as Tubi and The Roku Channel, and company executives have stated their intention to continue monetizing content via distribution to free streaming services.
WBD is also planning to launch a FAST platform of its own, but it may be a while before such a service is up and running. The company’s streaming boss J.B. Perrette recently indicated WBD is seeking a “hybrid” strategy of licensing content and collecting fees until it is ready to create its own FAST service.
“At some point in time, longer term, we do see this opportunity for this WB TV brand and platform to exist in an owned and operated environment,” Perrette said. “I think at some point, that will be dovetailed with the state of the advertising business, and we want to make sure we can to market at the right time when the demand is sufficient. But we will continue to execute this hybrid strategy of syndicated channels initially. And then over time, at the right time, launch our own service.”
There was no official word on when users would find the new channels on Freevee, but they will most likely be available to all viewers in the coming weeks.
Freevee
Freevee video streaming service was Amazon’s free, ad-supported streaming service offering a mix of movies, TV shows, live FAST channels, and original programming. Originally launched as IMDb TV before rebranding to Amazon Freevee in 2022, the service featured licensed library content alongside exclusives such as “Jury Duty,” “Bosch: Legacy,” and “Judy Justice.” Its lineup spanned drama, comedy, reality, true crime, and family programming, along with curated live channels covering news, sports highlights, and classic TV.