Everyone who streams movies knows that certain titles often disappear from specific services, and that streaming availability isn’t always forever, but normally that doesn’t apply to digital purchases of movies and series. Sony’s PlayStation Store has notified customers in Germany and Austria who purchased films from the French movie company StudioCanal that they will soon lose their access to hundreds of titles.
PlayStation announced last year that it would no longer offer movie and TV purchases or rentals, but said at the time that “users can still access movie and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5, and mobile devices.”
However, that has changed as at the end of August, the company announced that the content would no longer be available.
“As of August 31, 2022, due to our evolving licensing agreements with content providers, you will no longer be able to view your previously purchased Studio Canal content and it will be removed from your video library,” the company’s notices read. “We greatly appreciate your continued support.”
A report from Variety added that 314 movies will be removed in Germany, and 137 in Austria. It’s not clear whether the company will be offering refunds, and there’s also no word on what effect the move may have on U.S. availability. StudioCanal’s movies include the “Hunger Games,” “John Wick,” and “Paddington” franchises.
Sony previously offered PlayStation Vue, a live streaming service that competed with YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, but Sony shut it down in early 2020.
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The Hunger Games Movies
A science fiction film series based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The film series takes place in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future in the nation of Panem, featuring the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen.
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John Wick Movies
A neo-noir action thriller film series that follows Jonathan ‘John’ Wick, a former assassin, who comes out of retirement seeking vengeance for the theft of his vintage car and the murder of the puppy his deceased wife left to him.
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Paddington Movies
A series of films based on the stories of the character of the same name created by Michael Bond. These follow the eponymous character Paddington, an anthropomorphic bear who migrates from the jungles of Peru.
