PlayStation has made a key shift, no longer deleting Discovery content from users’ libraries.
Sony announced in early December, due to expiring licences, that they will not be taking action to restrict Discovery TV shows on PlayStation. Users were shocked when Sony initially stated this could occur at the end of December; over 1300 purchased plays would also be removed from user libraries at that point.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony and Warner Bros.’s Discovery have come to an “updated licensing agreement”, guaranteeing your access to any previously purchased shows for at least the next 30 months.
“Like other services, PlayStation Store does not own the licensing rights to TV/movie content available for sale on PlayStation Store; however, we have worked closely with Warner Bros to update our licensing agreements to guarantee consumers can continue accessing any previously purchased material for at least 30 months,” explained PlayStation.
This announcement caused widespread outrage due to both its abruptness and confirmation of many people’s fears associated with purchasing digital content. Switching away from physical gaming and movie purchases to digital formats presents consumers with risk, as access can be removed at any time with little warning and often requires recourse in order to regain possession.
The shock was felt among consumers who prefer buying digital entertainment over physical products, including Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, MythBusters and Tanked from Discovery’s offerings. If Discovery content were being pulled down the rabbit hole, who knows what else could go away in its wake?
PlayStation has recently provided an update on their website detailing that things have shifted, and no plans exist at this time for the removal of purchased Discovery content from users’ libraries.
Due to updated licensing arrangements, Discovery content removal, which had been planned for December 31, 2023, no longer occurs, according to their statement. Some may need a reminder of when movies and TV shows could still be purchased through Sony’s PlayStation Store; this practice was discontinued in 2021 when Sony decided to offer subscriptions to streaming services instead – eliminating concerns related to licensing while accommodating an emerging trend towards subscribing rather than buying movies and shows from stores.
PlayStation users have previously faced the risk of losing access to TV shows they had purchased due to expiring license agreements; Studio Canal content was removed entirely in August 2022 in this way – similar to what could happen with Discovery content if its licensing agreements had ended prematurely.
Recent years have illustrated the dangers associated with fully digital consumption for consumers. While Google Stadia subscribers received refunds when it closed down in 2023, many lost access to entire game libraries they’d become invested in as subscribers had gained access from prior platforms, even though many could rebuy those games through other outlets and transfer saves through various developers’ offerings; many lost hours, weeks, or months worth of progress and characters they likely became attached to along the way. Network outages mean temporary loss of purchased titles. In contrast, some titles only offer digital versions, making purchases as significant as digital equivalents unplayable despite physical versions being made unplayable over time unless physically accessible versions become unplayable due to online-only limitations or physical copies being unplayable due to online-only limitations of physical titles available online- causing unplayability even on physical versions being unplayable unless purchased from retailers redeemed acceptable from retailers when purchased when delivered for example from stores as retailers may.
GamesIndustry.biz reported that this new deal with Warner Bros. allows users to continue enjoying purchased content “for at least 30 months after its initial purchase. ”
Like other services, Sony Pictures does not own the licensing rights to TV/movie content that had previously been available on PlayStation Store,” stated Sony Pictures.