Microsoft has ceased the sale of digital films and series. What does this mean for Polish users?

Without any announcement and without a specific message – Microsoft has quietly ended the sale and rental of films and television programmes in its store. This is a sudden decision that closes a chapter lasting almost two decades.

Films and series have disappeared from the Microsoft Store. What actually happened?

On Friday, all digital video content – both on Windows, Xbox, and the Microsoft.com site – disappeared from the Microsoft Store. The company did not publish any official announcement – only a brief note appeared on the support page:

“Microsoft no longer offers new entertainment content for purchase, including films and TV shows.”

This means that users lost the ability to purchase or rent any film or series within the Microsoft ecosystem overnight. Importantly, no financial compensation has been planned. Even if someone made a purchase just before the offer was closed, they cannot count on a refund. The company cites the terms of service, which automatically exclude the possibility of refunds for video content.

Microsoft ends its operations that lasted nearly 20 years

Although today’s decision may seem sudden, in reality it is more of an end to the slow winding down of this segment. Microsoft began its adventure with digital video back in 2006, when it launched a film store on its Zune players – devices that were meant to compete with the iPod.

Over time, the platform evolved into Xbox Video, and then into the Movies & TV app, which also appeared on Windows computers. Over the years, it was an attempt to create a complete multimedia environment, but in the face of the dominance of Apple, Google, and Amazon – Microsoft never gained a significant market share.

It is also worth recalling that the company had previously stepped away from its own entertainment services – including the closure of the Groove Music platform in 2017. Today’s step therefore looks like the completion of a process that began several years ago.

What next for the Movies & TV app? Caution with the question mark

At this moment, the Movies & TV app is still functioning and users can watch previously purchased content. They have not disappeared from libraries – at least for now. Microsoft assures that access to past purchases is retained on devices with Windows and Xbox.

However, an obvious question arises: how much longer will the app be supported? Since the company has ceased sales, it is difficult to assume that maintaining this functionality will be a priority for them. It can therefore be expected that over time, the app itself may also be phased out, or simply stop functioning with the next system update.

For many users, this is a sign that digital purchases – even from giants like Microsoft – offer no guarantees for the future.