Amazon is taking a page from Netflix’s playbook, with a twist. Netflix has beenlicensing titles from Warner Bros. Discovery and its streaming service Max for months now, and now Amazon is using that same basic idea in shifting some of its Prime Video original titles to another service.

• Amazon is making episodes of several titles such as “Jack Ryan” available to stream on Freevee, its free ad-supported streamer.
• This is the first time these titles have been taken out from behind the Prime Video paywall.
• The move could be intended to keep users who are thinking of canceling Prime Video ahead of the incorporation of ads on the service.

Which Prime Video Titles Are Moving to Freevee?

Instead of licensing titles to a direct competitor, however, Amazon has decided to keep its shows in house. The company has decided it will show several Prime Video originals on its free ad-supported streaming platform Freevee, which does not require a subscription to watch.

Thus far several Prime Video originals have been identified, including “Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan,” “Reacher,” “Upload,” “The Grand Tour” and “Coach Prime.” This may not be a complete list, and other Prime Video originals could be making their way to Freevee soon.

The move marks the first time these particular shows have been made available to stream without a subscription to Prime Video. Users can stream Freevee on a host of popular devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV, as well as Android TV and Google TV streaming players.

Is Amazon Trying to Prevent a Mass Exodus of Subscribers?

One of the reasons Amazon could be moving some of its popular original titles to its free streaming platform is its upcoming conversion of the currently ad-free Prime Video tier to ad-supported. In early 2024, Amazon will introduce ads for all current Prime Video users unless they pay to upgrade to a new, more expensive tier.

The shift of its Prime Video originals to Freevee could be intended to keep users within the Amazon streaming family, even if they decide to cancel Prime Video once it becomes ad-supported. These titles are some of Amazon’s most-watched, and if it can’t get subscription dollars from customers it can at least try to retain them and scrape back some advertising money from them.

The move could also be intended to upsell users who are already Freevee watchers but have never signed up for Amazon’s Prime service. Prime Video is already a big driver of sign-ups to the main Prime offering, and putting these shows on Freevee could help persuade leery Freevee users that Prime Video is indeed worth their time and money.

Whatever the case may be, it’s a sure bet that Amazon has a close eye on its bottom line. For audiences, however, the main effect is that some of Amazon’s most popular streaming originals are now available to watch for free on its ad-supported streamer Freevee.