Katarzyna Petru
Without any announcement and without a specific statement – Microsoft quietly ended the sale and rental of movies and TV shows in its store. This sudden decision closes a chapter that has lasted almost two decades.
Movies and series are disappearing from the Microsoft Store. What actually happened?
On Friday, all digital video content disappeared from the Microsoft Store – both on Windows, Xbox, and Microsoft.com. The company did not publish any official announcement – only a short note appeared on the support page:
“Microsoft no longer offers new entertainment content for purchase, including movies and TV shows.”
This means that overnight, users lost the ability to purchase or rent any movies or series within the Microsoft ecosystem. Importantly, no financial compensation has been provided. Even if someone made a purchase just before the offer was closed, they cannot expect a refund. The company cites its terms of service, which explicitly exclude the possibility of refunds for video content.
Microsoft ends activity that lasted nearly 20 years
Although today's decision may seem sudden, in reality, it is rather the end of a slow phasing out of this segment. Microsoft began its adventure with digital video back in 2006, when it launched a movie store on its Zune players – devices intended 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It is also worth recalling that the company had previously withdrawn from its own entertainment services – in 2017, the Groove Music platform was shut down. Today's move therefore appears to be a completion of a process that began several years ago.
What's next for the Movies & TV app? Beware 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 remains available on Windows and Xbox devices.
However, an obvious question arises: how much longer will the app be supported? Since the company has stopped selling, it is hard to assume that maintaining this functionality will be a priority for them. Therefore, it can be expected that over time, the app itself may also be phased out, or simply stop working with the next system update.
For many users, this is a sign that digital purchases – even from giants like Microsoft – do not provide any guarantees for the future.
