If you’ve been rethinking whether or not you should be spending so much in DLC (downloadable content) you’re right to reconsider.

SONY will be removing user paid-for access to many shows and programming on its PlayStation console over the coming months.

We Were Promised Forever, but Given the Shaft

Most consumers bought into the idea of digital content lasting forever. Consumers purchased streaming subscriptions on major networks with the idea of watching their favorite shows in perpetuity. Console owners bought individual episodes and seasons of shows thinking they could watch it anytime using their gaming consoles.

Alas, my friends, this is not the case.

Thanks to licensing agreements and disastrous mergers, many Discovery Channel shows will be removed from PlayStation access. You won’t have access to these shows even if you’ve paid for them. The reason stems from the most boned headed business deal between corporations since the Hershel Walker trade of ’89.

Due to our content licensing arrangements with content providers, you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed from your video library.

SONY

The fallout from the HBO-Discovery Channel deal has spanned across movie studios like Warner Brothers to Lisa Joy’s production company (WestWorld). The merger resulted in several shows being axed from HBOMax (now ridiculously called, Max) and disappearing from the PlayStation Network. 1,318 seasons of Discovery shows will be removed.

Face It, All-Digital Sucks

It’s about time we recognize an all-digital, or all-streaming future sucks. It sucks for the consumer and it sucks for the content holder. It even sucks for the distributors. Digital reduces the value of stories and productions while at the same time causing a false sense of security for consumers. Producers and makers were led to believe billions of eyeballs paying cents on the dollar will equal massive amounts of cash. Consumers were led to believe when they bought a license or subscription they could watch their favorite stuff forever.

Digital even sucks for the distributors as licensing agreements between producers and makers become contentious when those dollars don’t flow through. We’re seeing a massive shift in digital distribution. Disney is cutting Disney+ productions because the constant feeding of the digital bulldog hasn’t led to huge profits, and streamers like Netflix are scrambling to find new ways of nickel and diming their subscribers. Meanwhile, traditional networks with good programming like HBO are cutting successful shows because of bone-headed mergers.

Even Christopher Nolan added his two cents on the prospect of only streaming favorite content because it can be taken away.

It may seem antiquated, but it may be time to go back to removable media. Even though you’ve bought a license to watch a DVD, similar to the license you paid to watch streamed content, SONY can’t come to your house and take it away.

-MJ