Amazon to Shut Down Popular Streaming Service in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin

If you live in the Tri-States and enjoy watching free shows and movies on your Roku, smart TV, or other streaming device, here's some frustrating news. Amazon has announced it’s officially shutting down Freevee, its free, ad-supported streaming service. The app will remain available through August 2025, but after that, it’s gone for good.

Freevee launched in 2019 (originally as IMDb TV) and quickly became a favorite among folks looking to cut costs but still enjoy decent entertainment. It offered everything from older hits to Freevee Originals and even some live TV channels,and all without a subscription. That kind of deal is hard to come by these days, and it's obviously getting tougher to find.

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Amazon says the shutdown is part of a “streamlining” effort. Basically, they want to roll all of their video content, both paid and free, into Prime Video. That means many Freevee shows and movies will still be available, just inside the Prime Video app. And yes, Amazon says non-Prime users will still be able to watch some content for free (with ads, that is).

Still, it’s just another hassle.

As someone who lives in a streaming-only household, it's an inconvenience for sure. We already have so many logins and credentials for various services, and now another free option for my family is leaving my Roku TV. It feels like one more hoop to jump through just to relax in the evening.

For Tri-State families on a budget who rely on free streaming options, it's a blow. It was a decent streaming option to keep kids entertained or enjoy movie nights without another bill. Sure, the content might still be “free,” but having to navigate Prime Video (with its extra charges in addition to ads) is a downgrade for many.

If you use Freevee regularly, now’s a good time to explore what’s moving over to Prime Video. Maybe set aside some patience for the extra clicks and ads soon to be coming your way.