IMDb Has Launched A Free Streaming Service Called Freedive
Everyone wants in on that sweet, sweet streaming action – including IMDb. The Internet Movie Database has officially launched its own streaming service called Freedive, and as the name suggests, it's free. That's good! Unfortunately, it also has a lot of ads that cut into your movie every so often. That's bad! Still, the selection is strong, and if you're looking to watch movies for free, this is a good option. Users can watch Freedive through their computer or through Amazon devices. More on the IMDb streaming service below.
"Customers already rely on IMDb to discover movies and TV shows and decide what to watch," said Col Needham, founder and CEO of IMDB. "With the launch of IMDb Freedive, they can now also watch full-length movies and TV shows on IMDb and all Amazon Fire TV devices for free. 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."
At first glance, the titles available on Freedive are fairly impressive. Memento, Drive, Monster, Foxcatcher, Panic Room, and many more are all available to stream for free right now – all you need is an IMDb account. There are also IMDb originals, should you be interested in that sort of thing. Per Variety, "titles licensed for Freedive come from studios and networks including CBS, NBCUniversal Television, Sony Pictures Entertainment/Columbia Pictures, Newmarket Films, Warner Bros. Television, A+E Networks and Annapurna Pictures."
The only flaw in this design – at least in my humble opinion – is the presence of ads. I get it – if IMDb wants to keep this service free, they need to have ads to pay the bills. But there are a lot of ads – here's a look at the ad placement on one of the titles, Bram Stoker's Dracula. Every bold rectangle on the timeline represents an ad.
Ads cutting into a movie so often would grow distracting for me, but your mileage may vary. If you don't mind ads so much, this service may be exactly what you're looking for. As of now, Freedive offers around 130 movies and 29 TV shows to stream, but one can assume they'll add even more titles as time progresses. As of now, Freedive is available online via the IMDb website, and on Amazon devices, like Amazon Fire TV. IMDb also plans to make it available on mobile devices via the IMDb app. Now feel free to go watch the hit 1995 movie Money Train!