Neighbours future clarified as Amazon addresses Freevee rumours
Neighbours has had its future on Freevee clarified as Amazon officials addressed rumours of the free-to-view channel's closure.
It had been initially reported that Amazon Studios was due to close the channel in the coming weeks amid news of restructuring across Prime Video. However, officials have now denied the rumours, insisting there will be no changes to Freevee.
"There are no changes to Freevee," a company spokesperson told Digital Spy in a statement.
"Amazon Freevee remains an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and originals, all for free."
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AdWeek had previously reported that Amazon was planning to close the channel, stating that the company was looking to focus its efforts on Prime Video following the decision to offer a cheaper, ads-included tier to subscribers.
Prime currently has two options available, with its ad-free version costing an extra £2.99 a month.
The report added that the move would allow Amazon to market its Prime Video as a three-tiered service, with Freevee instead rebranded as its free, ad-supported version. This would mean Freevee shows, such as the recently rebooted Neighbours, would still be available on the platform.
Initially called IMDb TV, Freevee was purchased by Amazon in January 2019 which allowed it to offer a service that didn't require an Amazon Prime subscription.
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Alongside airing continuations of already established shows, Freevee also launched several original programmes, such as the Emmy-nominated series Jury Duty.
Neighbours joined the service in 2023 after it was announced that Freevee would be airing the soap in the UK and US in partnership with Australia's Network 10. Neighbours is already available on Prime Video for viewers in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Before joining Freevee, the long-running soap had ended after 37 years on air after Channel 5 announced it would be dropping it from its channel.
Neighbours releases new episodes from Mondays to Thursdays for free on Amazon Freevee in the UK and US. In Australia, the show airs from Mondays to Thursdays at 4pm on Channel 10, with a 6.30pm repeat screening on 10 Peach.
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