Sony to end streaming service PlayStation Vue due to 'highly competitive' pay TV industry

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is discontinuing PlayStation Vue, its live streaming TV service that offers live and on demand programmes, on 30 January 2020 more than four years after its launch in the US. According to SIE, it looks to remain focused on its core gaming business as the "highly competitive" pay TV industry, with?expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than it expected.

Despite pulling the plug on PlayStation Vue, fans can continue to access movie and TV content through the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 4 and via its partnerships with entertainment apps, including YouTube, Netflix, HBO GO and Crunchyroll.

"We are very proud of what PlayStation Vue was able to accomplish. We had ambitious goals for how our service could change how people watch TV, showcasing PlayStation?s ability to innovate in a brand-new category within the Pay TV industry. We want to thank all of our customers, some of whom have been with us since PlayStation Vue?s launch in 2015," SIE added.

The company had hoped for PlayStation Vue to "change the rules and revolutionise" the traditional TV viewing experience in the US. According to SIE, it set the bar high and sought to innovate an established industry by delivering a modern TV experience. The streaming industry has been heating up, with various players such as Disney, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Apple all vying for the consumers' buck.?Nonetheless, SIE aims to deliver memorable entertainment experiences across the network, along with other key gaming services such as PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus.

The shutting down of PlayStation Vue comes shortly after SIE slashed prices for PlayStation Now from?US$19.99 to US$9.99 each month. It also bolstered the game streaming service's game?catalogue with marquee content and limited edition titles, and launched its first-ever global marketing campaign. SIE's president and CEO Jim Ryan said that following PS Now's expansion into more markets, it was "an ideal time" to revamp the PlayStation Now service with a more?compelling price and stronger content offering.

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(Photo courtesy: PlayStation's website)