Amazon is making good on its promise to expand Freevee’s original programming by 70% in 2022.
When you think of Amazon and streaming, you probably think Prime Video and its pricey content investments like Wheel of Time and the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But Amazon also operates Freevee, which launched in 2019 as IMDb Freedive, rebranded to IMDb TV later that same year, and less than a week ago rebranded again to its current name.
Freevee, as the new moniker suggests, is a free-to-watch, ad-supported streamer available in the U.S. and U.K., with expansion to Germany planned for sometime in 2022.
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In early April, Amazon revealed that Freevee’s number of monthly active users has tripled in the past two years. (It didn’t give exact user numbers, though, so we don’t know if tripling means it went from a few thousand viewers to a few thousand more, or if it’s up in the six or seven figures.)
Amazon also said it would amp Freevee’s content production by 70% in 2022.
Now, at its NewFronts presentation, Amazon announced a number of new greenlit projects and several series renewals.
Here’s the complete list of what’s in Freevee’s content pipeline (with descriptions provided by Amazon):
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (Greenlight): A new unscripted competition series to find the next dynamic talent to join the America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) team. Contestants will work inside the ATK studio kitchens, undergoing intense culinary and media challenges in the job interview of a lifetime. The last cook standing will receive a starring role on ATK. America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation is executive produced by David Nussbaum, Jack Bishop, David Lonner, and Mark Itkin.
- Beyond Black Beauty (Greenlight): Inspired by the beloved novel, Beyond Black Beauty is a coming-of-age dramedy that follows Jolie Dumont, an equestrian with Olympic aspirations whose journey is suddenly halted when her mother, Janelle, moves them from their posh Belgium life to Janelle’s childhood home in Baltimore. Jolie struggles to find roots, but as she bonds with an equally spirited horse named Black Beauty, she learns to embrace the family’s ranch, where Black cowboys have been entrenched in their DNA for more than a century. In this multigenerational tale of adversity, humility, and love, Jolie finally discovers the value of family and home. From Amazon Studios, the Emmy-winning production company Sinking Ship Entertainment, and Leif Films, Beyond Black Beauty is executive produced by Pilar Golden, Leif and Agnes Bristow, J.J. Johnson, and Carla de Jong.
- Bosch: Legacy – Season Two (Pickup): Prior to the first season premiere on May 6, Freevee has picked up a second season of the spinoff series, which follows retired homicide detective turned private investigator Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) as he fights to work cases without the authority his former job provided. Meanwhile, attorney Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers) struggles to maintain her faith in the justice system after surviving an attempted murder, and Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz) discovers the possibilities and challenges of being a rookie patrol cop on the streets of Los Angeles. Bosch: Legacy, from Fabel Entertainment, is executive produced by Michael Connelly, Eric Overmyer, Tom Bernardo, Henrik Bastin, Pieter Jan Brugge, and Titus Welliver.
- Inside No. 9 (Development): Based on the BBC’s award-winning anthology series, Inside No. 9 mixes humor with horror, crime, and suspense, with each episode loosely linked via the inclusion of the number nine. From Lionsgate Television and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions, this dark comedy features high stakes, shocking twists, and the unexpected. The series is executive produced by Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, Angie Stephenson, and Josh Cole.
- Play-Doh Squished (Greenlight): Sarah Hyland hosts this fast-paced, family competition series where three teams of four family members and/or friends compete in a series of physical and creative challenges. To take home the grand prize, teams must combine imagination and inspiration with Play-Doh compound as the medium. Play-Doh Squished is produced by Amazon Studios and eOne. Executive producers are Tara Long and Will Erb for eOne, alongside Allison Berkley and Briana Vowels, who serve as showrunners. Host Sarah Hyland is also an executive producer on the series.
- Post Malone: Runaway (Greenlight): A one-hour music documentary showcasing the story of Grammy-nominated Post Malone’s first arena tour, 2019’s The Runaway Tour. The movie, which will be the second Original film on Freevee, features exclusive backstage access, live performances, and intimate interviews, peeling back the curtain on Post Malone’s personal and professional life during this pivotal career milestone. From Pulse Films and Federal Films, Post Malone: Runaway was created by BAFTA-nominated Hector Dockrill and written and produced by Sam Bridger and Casey Engelhardt. The film is executive produced by Dre London, Austin Rosen, and Bobby Greenleaf.
- UNINTERRUPTED’s Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers – Seasons Three and Four (Pickup): The Original docuseries showcases the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers, one of Southern California’s elite high school basketball teams, as they chase championship history and balance school, friendships, and their budding basketball careers. Season Three will take viewers on a journey as the Trailblazers put it all on the line to regain their spot as the ‘22 CIF-champions. Amari Bailey, Shy Odom, Bronny James, and Dylan Metoyer return, with Kijani Wright, Isaiah Elohim, and Mike Price as new additions to the roster. LeBron James and Maverick Carter will return as executive producers with their Sports Emmy Award-winning athlete empowerment brand, UNINTERRUPTED. Also returning are executive producers Jamal Henderson, Devin Johnson, and Philip Byron; co-executive producer Camille Maratchi; and showrunner/director Brendon Carter.
Freevee’s Newfronts sizzle reel
Freevee also unveiled a fresh licensing deal with Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution it says will bring a “limited selection” of titles to its platform, including Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Logan, Hidden Figures, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Post.
Freevee has a similar deal with NBCUniversal that gives it exclusive streaming rights for films like Dolittle, The Invisible Man, Promising Young Woman, and Fast 9.
Last up, Freevee bumped from 60 linear streaming channels—a division it calls “FAST”–to 75.
“Amazon Freevee is a trailblazer in the AVOD space, reimagining, redefining, and leveling up the quality of content offered by a free streaming service,” Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of Amazon Freevee content and programming, said in a joint statement.
They added, “By developing and programming inspired, fan-favorite Original series and movies—produced and delivered by Amazon Studios in partnership with some of the industry’s best creators and studio partners—and by securing exclusive, highly sought licensed content, we have built a destination where viewers know they can discover and enjoy something new, or indulge in something they already love.”
