Freevee, the Amazon-owned free streaming service formerly known as IMDB TV, has recently been adding new channels in an attempt to compete with the likes of other ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services like Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel. It’s a sector in which viewership has jumped 20% since 2020, and competition is growing stiffer.
In an interview with The Wrap, Freevee’s heads of content programming, Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, laid out their plans and made clear that the “free” doesn’t just mean it’s a non-subscription service.
“We really wanted a name that helped communicate what Amazon Freevee is. IMDb TV was a perfectly great name since IMDb is a world-renowned database for movie and TV information,” Pirozzi said. “But we don’t think it helped people understand what we are. Freevee doesn’t just refer to the price point, which is a great one. It’s also about freedom from time slots, freedom from search, select device availability, and freedom for creators to tell stories.”
A flurry of deals for new channels to arrive on the newly-renamed service include:
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The Jamie Oliver Channel: British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has launched a channel on the service that features several shows from the chef’s past, including “Jamie's American Road Trip,” ”Jamie's 30 Minute Meals,” and ”Jamie’s Kitchen.”
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Fuse Backstage and Fuse Beat: Fuse Backstage will feature stars and emerging talent in music biographies, performances, reality shows, and more while Fuse Beat will celebrate Black culture in the pop world around the globe.
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ALF Channel: Freevee has also added a dedicated channel for ALF, the alien puppet who starred in a popular sitcom in the 1980s. The channel will feature all 102 episodes of “ALF,” along with the runs of the animated series “ALF: The Animated Series” and “ALF Tales.”
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The Elvis Channel: Launched in June to coincide with the new “Elvis” movie, the channel features the King’s movies, as well as “The ’68 Comeback Special” and other one-off specials. The Elvis Channel, in addition to Freevee, is available on Sling TV, Xumo, Plex, and LG Channels.
Freevee
Freevee is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to thousands of movies and TV shows. The service also offers 400+ virtual live streaming channels like Dove Channel, CON TV, Docurama, Tastemade, and AMC Presents. Freevee was previously known as IMDb TV.