Fremantle confirms Neighbours to be axed for third time as Amazon moves out of Ramsay Street

Neighbours first aired on Seven Network in 1985

Australia’s longest-running soap, Neighbours, has been cancelled for the third time in its 40-year history, with coproduction and distribution partner Amazon announcing it will cease production in July.

Producer Fremantle Australia confirmed speculation today that production partner Amazon was pulling out of the show, with the last episode airing in December 2025 on Australian broadcaster Network Ten and on Amazon’s Prime Video internationally.

While Amazon has not provided a reason for dropping the show, it is understood the demise of the company’s ad-supported platform Freevee last year was the death knell for the series.

Freevee commissioned the new iteration of Neighbours in 2023, alongside Fremantle Australia and Network Ten. The abrupt closure of Freevee and departure of its commissioners meant content deals were transferred to Prime Video, which, sources suggest, did not have a strategy for the inherited show.

“Forty years is an incredible milestone and we are proud that Amazon MGM Studios was able to have a small part of bringing further episodes to Freevee and Prime Video customers over the last two years, spanning over 400 episodes,” Amazon said in a statement.

Paramount-owned Network Ten, which was a minority funder of the series, has made it clear it needs a coproduction partner if the series is to remain viable. It has previously said it cannot shoulder the show’s high production costs on its own.

With pressure falling squarely on Fremantle to find a Neighbours saviour, the prodco said it will “explore all options” for the series.

In a statement from the company, Neighbours exec producer Jason Herbison said: “We believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future.”

Matthew Deaner

He added that the alliance with Amazon brought new global audiences to the 40-year-old show and it has retained top 10 viewing status in the UK. Neighbours also currently streams internationally on Prime Video in the US, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.

Neighbours’ fall at the hands of a foreign media player has created further industry concern around the value and retention of Australian IP, particularly when it comes to foreign-owned international platforms.

Under the Amazon and Network Ten distribution deal, both parties have access to the most recent 2,000 episodes and selected ‘iconic content moments’ for an undisclosed period. All other content rights remain with Fremantle.

The news has rattled the local industry, particularly as the series represented one of the biggest employers and developers of talent in the Australian industry. During its run, the soap employed 112 directors, showcased 421 writers and featured over 2,000 actors.

Matthew Deaner, CEO of Screen Producers Australia, said the cancellation of Neighbours and other Australian productions this week was a “stark warning of what’s at stake if the government does not modernise what is now an outdated Australian screen industry framework.”

“We cannot sit back and hope that cracks in the industry’s foundations will fix themselves. Our industry needs key issues to be addressed swiftly. Businesses, jobs and our Australian identity are all at risk,” he added.

Peter Matessi, president of the Australian Writers’ Guild, said: “[Neighbours] is an iconic part of our culture that has employed hundreds of Australian writers over the years, as well as actors, creatives and crew. It still employs hundreds, including dozens of writers, all of whom have now lost their jobs. It is a huge loss to our industry and our culture. It remains vital for Australians to be able to see Australian stories by Australian writers on Australians screens, and the loss of Neighbours means they have fewer opportunities to do so.”

Media union the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has called for urgent action to implement local content quotas on streaming services.

MEAA acting chief Adam Portelli said: “Australian stories shouldn’t be left to the whim of huge multinational corporations like Amazon, Netflix or Apple. MEAA will be seeking urgent clarification from Fremantle about the future of the production.”

Neighbours, originally developed by television executive Reg Watson as an Aussie version of UK soap Coronation Street, first aired on Australia’s Seven Network in 1985, produced by Grundy Television.

It quickly moved to Network Ten after mixed ratings, where it successfully ran for five nights per week until 2022 and amassed a global distribution footprint via Fremantle.

In 2022, Amazon offered the series a reprieve after its coproduction partner, Paramount-owned Channel 5 in the UK, pulled its funding and a significant fan backlash ensued. The reprised Neighbours was commissioned by Amazon’s Freevee and went into production in 2023.