John Kodera, Deputy President of SIE, announced today that the decision has been finalized to shut down PlayStation VUE as of January 30, 2020. The decision was reported via the PlayStation Blog.
“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.
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.
PlayStation fans can continue to access movie and TV content through the PlayStation Store on PS4 and via our partnerships with top entertainment apps. With 100 million PlayStation 4s in the market today, our community continues to grow and thrive. We will 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.”
Our Take
Sony is making a lot of moves lately and it’s obvious that some large decisions are being made as to the future of the PlayStation brand as they prepare for the PS5 next year. From what we’ve heard through the industry, Sony was looking for a buyer for Vue but there were no takers. Given the growing competitiveness and exclusivity in that realm, it’s not all too surprising.
