SONY SHUTS DOWN ITS PLAYSTATION VUE SERVICE

Sony has announced the shutdown of its OTT service PlayStation Vue, effective on January 30, 2020. The company communicated its decision in a blog post written by Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Deputy President, John Kodera.

“Over four years ago, we made a bold decision to change the rules and revolutionize the traditional TV-viewing experience in the U.S. with PlayStation Vue. We set the bar high and sought to innovate an established industry by delivering a modern TV experience. By completely rethinking live and on demand television, we offered an incredible user experience that allowed viewers to discover and watch content in completely new ways,” the statement begins.

“Today we are announcing that we will shut down the PlayStation Vue service on January 30, 2020. Unfortunately, the highly competitive pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected. Because of this, we have decided to remain focused on our core gaming business,” the company said.

PlayStation fans can continue to access movie and TV content through the PlayStation Store on PS4 and via the company’s partnerships with entertainment apps. Sony promised to “continue to deliver the best entertainment experiences across the network, along with other key gaming services, including PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus”.

“We are very proud of what PlayStation Vue was able to accomplish. We had ambitious goals for how our service could change how people watch TV, showcasing PlayStation’s ability to innovate in a brand-new category within the pay TV industry. We want to thank all of our customers, some of whom have been with us since PlayStation Vue’s launch in 2015. We appreciate your continued support as we move through this transitional period and look toward the future,” the post concluded.