Sony will not remotely wipe thousands of TV episodes and films from PlayStation consoles worldwide this month after it struck an eleventh-hour with Hollywood studio Warner Bros. Discovery.
PlayStation owners were braced to see 1,318 separate seasons of TV vanish from their console due to “content licensing arrangements”. Sony originally confirmed the cull in an email to console owners.
With the latest licensing agreement between the console manufacturer and Warner Bros. Discovery, players can rest assured their library of shows will be safe from deletion for “at least the next 30 months”.
Only TV series and movies from popular documentary channel Discovery would’ve been impacted. That includes shows such as MythBusters, An Idiot Abroad, Cake Boss, Deadliest Catch, Naked and Afraid, Say Yes To The Dress, Wheeler Dealers, American Chopper, or How It’s Made.
Confirming the reprieve, Sony stated: “Similar to other services, we do not own the licensing rights to TV/movie content that was previously available for purchase on PlayStation Store.
“However, we’ve worked with Warner Bros to update our licensing agreements, ensuring that consumers will be able to access their previously purchased content for at least the next 30 months.”
Sony stopped selling films and TV shows on its digital PlayStation store, which is accessible from the games console, back in August 2021. When this decision was announced, Sony told PlayStation owners that they would still be able to access existing purchases.
Writing in a company blog post, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Head of Video Business, Vanessa Lee wrote: “We’ve seen tremendous growth from PlayStation fans using subscription-based and ad-based entertainment streaming services on our consoles.
“With this shift in customer behavior, we have decided to no longer offer movie and TV purchases and rentals through PlayStation Store as of August 31, 2021.”
Lee reassured: “When this change takes effect, 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.
“We thank our fans for their continued support, and we look forward to further enhancing the entertainment experience on PlayStation.”
Within a year, a licensing agreement with StudioCanal pushed Sony to wipe 314 films from PlayStation console owners in Germany.
Unfortunately, this situation is not entirely uncommon with all-digital content. Although you’ve made a purchase, unlike a physical product, licenses can be revoked and content can be removed from any internet-connected device without your consent. Amazon remotely wiped copies of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984 from people’s devices due to a rights issue back in 2009.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
