Microsoft yanks its Movies & TV store, ending a 19-year video experiment
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Microsoft has finally turned off the lights on its Movies & TV store today. The new change cuts off new purchases and rentals on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs.
The shutdown ends a service that started as Zune Marketplace in 2006. It morphed into Xbox Video in 2012 and landed in the current Movies & TV app a decade ago.
If you built a library under Microsoft’s banner, the clips stay put. You can still stream or download them through the Movies & TV app on Xbox and Windows. HD remains the ceiling. Ultra HD never arrived.
Microsoft buried the news in a low-key FAQ update. The document now answers the obvious question, “Can I still buy and rent new movies and TV shows?” with a blunt “No.” The company adds that previously bought titles will stay accessible on Windows and Xbox devices.
That wording leaves people wondering how long Microsoft will fund the back-end servers. The company gives no timeline. Movies Anywhere–eligible titles travel to other platforms in the U.S., but the rest of the catalog stays locked inside Microsoft’s ecosystem.
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The decision follows Microsoft’s broader retreat from consumer video. In recent years, it pushed Game Pass, cloud gaming, and its own hardware, as the video store faded in the background. With Apple, Amazon, and a swarm of streaming giants dominating, Microsoft chose to quit the fight instead of upgrading an aging storefront.
Customers aren’t getting refunds. Microsoft argues that playback still works, so no compensation is due. That stance repeats a pattern: close a service, leave archives online, move on.
If you want a safety copy, fire up a Windows PC and download each purchase as long as the option stands. No one outside Redmond knows how long that button will stay green.
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