Amazon unveils ad-supported IMDb video streaming service
The company will continuously add films and series to IMDb Freedive.
It's been rumored that Amazon has been working on an ad-supported video streaming service, similar to what's offered from Vudu and Roku, and now the service has officially launched. Variety reports that IMDb Freedive, as the streaming service is called, currently lists around 130 movies and 29 TV titles, but that Amazon plans to add more series and films on an ongoing basis.
"Customers already rely on IMDb to discover movies and TV shows and decide what to watch," IMDb CEO Col Needham said in a statement. "We will continue to enhance IMDb Freedive based on customer feedback and will soon make it available more widely, including on IMDb's leading mobile apps."
Among the titles currently available are seasons of Fringe, Heroes, The Bachelor and Gilligan's Island. The film selection includes Memento, Awakenings, A Few Good Men and Monster, among others. You can also view IMDb originals through the service.
With IMDb Freedive, Amazon opens itself up to more advertising revenue, and that could help it catch up to Google and Facebook, which currently dominate the digital ad space. You can watch IMDb Freedive titles on IMDb's website or with any Fire TV device.
