Amazon's Freevee service is already massive, and it's about to get even bigger: another 23 channels are coming to the ad-funded free streaming service, which already has over 280 channels to choose from.
These aren't obscure channels either. Each will stream some of the best TV shows and best movies from Warner Bros. Discovery and MGM, so you can Say Yes To The Dress or escape to The Outer Limits.
That's not all Amazon's adding to the service formerly known as IMdB TV. More than 100 Prime Video Originals were added to Freevee last month too, including the superb Bosch as well as Reacher, Upload, The Terminal List and many more. Amazon has also added 10 new channels from Lionsgate too.
It's all part of Amazon's big plan to boost the number of FAST (Free, Ad-Supported TV) channels on its service by 75% this year. And it's separate to Amazon's reported plans to add an ad-supported tier to Amazon Prime Video this year.
What new channels are coming to Freevee?
In the next few months you'll get 11 new channels from Warner Bros. Discovery. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "it sounds like it will focus heavily on unscripted fare" such as Cake Boss, Extreme Couponing and Say Yes to the Dress from WBD's own studios and from Discovery.
The 12 MGM-branded channels will include dedicated channels for films, and for shows such as The Pink Panther, Stargate, Green Acres and others. The Hollywood Reporter says that there will also be themed channels such as MGM Presents: Action and MGM Presents: Sci-Fi.
Freeview isn't the only service that WBD has been selling its shows to: it's also signed deals with Roku and Tubi for shows such as Westworld (HBO) and The Bachelor (Warner TV).
That can only be good news for consumers. Recently I've been feeling that streaming is starting to resemble the bad old days of cable, with shows scattered across multiple walled-off services and requiring multiple subscriptions and a whole stack of apps. So it's good to see studios working with multiple streamers instead of getting locked into exclusive deals.
