Google Play Movies users will be accessing their films and TV shows in different places from the start of 2024.
The world of digital movies has been going through some upheaval over the course of 2023. Just this month, we’ve learned that in the UK, both the Peacock and Lionsgate+ services are closing their doors shortly. TalkTalk meanwhile closed its digital movie store and didn’t even properly refund people.
Next up? The Google Play Movies & TV service is finally closing. This had been announced previously, but now we have what appears to be the final closing date for the service.
According to a newly updated Google support page – that was spotted here – the key date is January 17th 2024. That’s when you’ll no longer be able to access movies and TV shows via the Google Play website or via Android TV devices.
This doesn’t mean, in this case, that digital purchases are going to disappear. Instead, they’re going to be dispersed a little.
Web users will find – if they haven’t already – that their purchases are now viewable via YouTube instead. If you’re accessing Google Play Movies & TV via an Android set top box or equivalent, then they’ll also be transferring to the equivalent YouTube app.
Finally, for Android TV users, you need to dig out the Shop app to find the titles that you’ve previously purchased.
On the plus side: it looks like you’re losing nothing, as it should be. On the other hand, it may involve a tiny bit of faffing around.
Google also notes that “this will roll out over the next few weeks depending on your location and country”.
Google will still sell you films and TV shows, just not through the Google Play store as of early next year. A note on the Google Play site clarifies this, with purchases soon to go directly through YouTube and Google TV instead.
Here’s the bit of the site in question:
Quite where the consolidation of digital movie services will end isn’t clear. But with a Paramount and Warner Bros merger now being mooted, there’s some way yet to go.
