Late last week, a report circulated that suggested Sony would soon part ways with its PlayStation Vue TV streaming service. The report was no joke; this will indeed happen in the coming months, but not through means of a sale. On January 30, 2020, the service is scheduled to officially shut down. Such a move, according to Sony Interactive Entertainment Deputy President, John Kodera, will allow Sony to focus more on its “core gaming business.”
Kodera revealed news of the service’s discontinuation in a PlayStation Blog post, explaining that the decision came down to the competitive nature of TV streaming. At present, there seems to be no change in sight for the “highly competitive Pay TV industry.” Thus, network deals and the sheer volume of expensive content makes it difficult for Sony to gain a decent foothold. Still, it seems the company remains proud of what was accomplished by the venture, which launched just a few years ago in 2015.
On the PlayStation Vue’s FAQ page, a bit more information is offered to current subscribers. Most importantly, active members should know the streaming service’s cancelation policies have not changed. In addition, the final time subscribers should expect to be charged for the service is in December of this year, unless cancellation occurs before the December billing date.
PlayStation 4 users will still be able to access TV and film content, courtesy of the PlayStation Store. And, of course, the console supports a variety of streaming apps from other companies, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
[Source: PlayStation Blog, PlayStation Vue FAQ]
