Apple Officially Discontinues Ability to Rent, Purchase Movies from iTunes
Users will have to head to the Apple TV app if they want to buy a digital copy of ‘Barbie’ or other hit shows and movies from now on.
The addition of TV episodes and movies to the iTunes store seems so long ago that it’s hard to remember a time when they weren’t there. Apple’s digital platform for allowing users to buy music has been a store for TV shows and movies since 2006, but that ability is officially no longer supported as of this week.
- Apple’s iOS 17.2 update has put an end to the ability to rent and buy TV shows and movies via iTunes.
- Users who wish to purchase a digital title from Apple will now find that content in the Apple TV app.
- There may soon be a new streaming bundle to purchase from Apple incorporating Apple TV+ and Paramount+.
One Stop iTunes Store No More
Apple was one of the first companies to recognize the value of streaming video and added the ability to purchase and watch movies on digital devices when VCRs were still in fashion. The company isn’t completely taking away the ability to buy TV shows and movies through its platforms, but customers will have to go to a new spot to find that digital store.
With the release of iOS 17.2 this week, Apple is no longer allowing users to purchase TV episodes or movies through iTunes. That ability has moved to the Apple TV app, a move The Streamable first warned would occur at the end of October. The move is meant to emphasize Apple TV as the best and only place for Apple users to find video, both subscription streaming content like that found on Apple TV+ as well as shows and movies that users can rent or buy.
This move will affect users of Apple TV devices, as well as those who try to find video on iTunes via iPad or iPhone. Henceforward, iTunes can only be used to purchase music or ringtones, while video services will be exclusive to the Apple TV app.
Is Apple TV+ Gaining Any New Features or Updates?
The shifting of transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) content from the iTunes store to the Apple TV app won’t have much of an effect on Apple TV+, which will also be found in that app. The iOS 17.2 update will not include any hard bundling of Apple TV+ with MLS Season Pass, but the two services will be housed within the same Apple TV app that will now include the company’s TVOD offerings.
There may a new soft streaming bundle for Apple fans to take advantage of. Reports indicate the company has had discussions with Paramount Global about offering a discounted bundle of Apple TV+ and Paramount+, though no final decisions have been reached in regard to that proposal.
Both iOS 17.2 and tvOS 17.2 began rolling out on Monday, so users who have not seen the changes described yet will see them the next time their device updates. Users can still rent or purchase TV shows and movies digitally from Apple, but they’ll have to seek out the Apple TV app instead of iTunes to do so from now on.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.