As of Jan. 30, 2020 Sony’s PlayStation Vue is shutting down. The service first launched on PS3/PS4 consoles in March of 2015, offering an over-the-top option to traditional cable TV.
“We regret to inform you that Sony Interactive Entertainment is discontinuing the PlayStation Vue service on January 30, 2020.”
Why is it shutting down? It appears Sony could not compete with other players for networks and content distribution. According to a blog post on PlayStation.com the company will focus instead on gaming.
“Unfortunately, the highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected. Because of this, we have decided to remain focused on our core gaming business.” – John Kodera, Deputy President, SIE
While current subscribers will be able to watch through the end of today, new trials and paid subscriber signups have been deactivated.
Interestingly enough, Sony directs anyone interested in streaming TV service to YouTube TV rather than other services like Sling TV (as if Google needs any more customers).
Other options include AT&T Watch TV, Philo, and FuboTV to mention a few.
