OpenAI Shuts Down Sora: The Phenomenal AI Video App Fades Out in Less Than Six Months

OpenAI officially announced the shutdown of its AI video generation application, Sora, this Tuesday. The product, once hailed as a “world simulator,” was officially launched in September 2025—its operations ceased less than six months later, marking OpenAI’s strategic retreat from the video generation sector.

From Meteoric Rise to Rapid Decline

Sora first captured global attention in February 2024 with its ability to generate realistic content from text, images, or video inputs. According to thirdparty estimates, the number of users on the waiting list surpassed one million within the first week of its initial reveal.

In September 2025, OpenAI released Sora 2, which offered improved physical simulation realism and interactive capabilities, alongside a dedicated Sora App. Data shows that within five days of launch, the app surpassed one million global downloads and quickly topped the free app charts on the App Store in major markets, including the United States and China.

However, the momentum proved shortlived. By February of this year, Sora’s website had 21.17 million monthly visits—a nearly 70% drop from October last year. Inapp revenue (user spending) stood at $367,000 in January, down 32% monthonmonth. Thirdparty data indicates that since its launch, Sora generated approximately $1.4 million in global net inapp revenue, while ChatGPT brought in $1.9 billion during the same period.

Behind the Shutdown: Monetization Woes and Strategic Pivot

Multiple media reports point to several key factors behind OpenAI’s decision to pull the plug on Sora:

Weak monetization and high resource consumption. Seema Shah, VP of Insights at market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, noted the stark revenue gap between Sora and ChatGPT. Thomas Husson, an analyst at Forrester, described Sora as a “resource black hole” with very limited monetization potential. Henry Ajder, an expert in AI and deepfakes, commented that as initial excitement faded, OpenAI could no longer afford to continue burning cash on the platform—especially given the company remains unprofitable and faces growing pressure from investors and competitors.

Copyright disputes and content safety risks. From the outset, Sora faced criticism over potential copyright violations and threats to the media industry. Analysts pointed out that the platform struggled to prevent the generation of nonconsensual imagery, realistic misinformation, and major copyright infringements. Husson added that the shutdown may also be aimed at “minimizing the associated risks” as OpenAI prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO).

Strategic refocusing ahead of a possible IPO. According to The Wall Street Journal, the closure of Sora is part of OpenAI’s broader restructuring. OpenAI told the media that discontinuing Sora allows the company to concentrate resources on other development efforts, particularly robotics “that will help people solve realworld, physical tasks.” The company plans to integrate ChatGPT, Codex, and the Atlas browser, focusing on businessoriented tools in preparation for a potential IPO. Video generation capabilities will be incorporated into ChatGPT, but Sora will no longer exist as a standalone app.

BillionDollar Disney Partnership Also Ends

The shutdown of Sora also led to the termination of OpenAI’s multibilliondollar content partnership with entertainment giant Disney. The threeyear deal, announced in December 2025, granted Sora users access to over 200 characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. The agreement was seen as a turning point in the relationship between the tech industry and Hollywood.

A Disney spokesperson said, “We respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere.” The spokesperson added that Disney would continue to engage with other AI platforms to responsibly explore new technologies while respecting intellectual property and the rights of creators.

OpenAI confirmed that both the consumer app and the professional video generation platform have ceased operations, while the image generation tools within ChatGPT remain unaffected. In a post on social media, the Sora team thanked users: “To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing.”

According to insiders, OpenAI will announce the timeline for shutting down the Sora app and API, as well as details on preserving usercreated content, in the near future.