Microsoft has ended its business of selling digital TV shows and movies after nearly two decades. The company’s Movies & TV app stopped sales and rentals for new content on Friday without warning. A support notice on the Microsoft website states that customers can continue to access previously purchased content on Xbox or Windows devices, but refunds are not available under the store’s terms.
Microsoft launched its movie and TV storefront in 2006 as part of its Zune portable device, which aimed to compete with Apple’s iPod. The service evolved into the Xbox Video store in 2012 before being renamed Microsoft Movies & TV in 2015. However, customers are now unable to transfer their purchased content to another service. Instead, US users can sign up for Movies Anywhere, a cloud service that connects select movies with participating retailers such as Apple, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney.
Microsoft does not offer refunds for movie purchases due to the store’s terms of sale. The decision to exit digital TV sales has been met with surprise from industry insiders and customers alike.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/microsoft-shuts-down-digital-movie-tv-app-store-1236464798