Microsoft Movies & TV,[2][3] also branded Films & TV,[4][5] was a digital video storefront service developed and run by Microsoft for the Windows and Xbox platforms. It offered full HD movies and TV shows available for rental or purchase from the Microsoft Store. Personal digital collections could be watched and managed within the software app.[6] The service would be later discontinued on July 18, 2025.
The service originated with the launches of the Zune
Microsoft replaced and relaunched the service as Xbox Video on October 14, 2012, with audio offerings becoming Xbox Music.[11] It was then renamed Movies & TV in 2015. The Microsoft Movies & TV video player app was superseded by Media Player in 2023 and 2022 respectively on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The Movies & TV service shut down in 2025 as part of Microsoft's continuing distancing from consumer entertainment services.[12]
Xbox Live Marketplace's original video store was replaced by Zune Marketplace on September 15, 2009.[14]
At E3 2009, Microsoft announced their 1080p streaming video service, which allows users to stream video over an internet connection.[15] This technology is a key part of Xbox Video for their video streaming service.
With the announcement of Xbox Music services which would replace the Zune Marketplace music service, speculation arose about "Xbox Video", a potential service that would offer movies and television series, because the term "music" in the name of the service gave the impression that Xbox Music will offer strictly music, thus excluding films and television series.
With the launch of Windows 10, Xbox Video appears under the name of Film & TV in the apps, with the storefront for the content merged into Microsoft Store as a whole as part of Microsoft's universal apps initiative.[16] However the name and branding of Xbox Video remains active on all the previous platforms and the official website.[17]
On September 17, 2015, with a system update for the Xbox 360, the name of the app changed to reflect the new branding.[18] The Xbox One app had also changed in a previous update.
After previously being linked with Movies Anywhere in the past, Microsoft Movies & TV announced that they would be rejoining the service on August 6, 2018.[19]
On August 17, 2023, Microsoft announced that the Microsoft Movies & TV app on Xbox 360 will no longer function as of July 29, 2024.[20]
On July 18, 2025, Microsoft abruptly discontinued purchasing and renting on the platform. Microsoft stated that purchased content would still be accessible via the Movies & TV app.[21]
