It really is the end of the road for Netflix's DVD rental business. Come September, Netflix will stop sending out those iconic Netflix red envelopes filled with DVD movies that devoted subscribers once collected in threes. It really is the end of a bygone era.
If you're reading this and wondering what the hell we're talking about and why Netflix felt the need to announce the change on Tuesday(Opens in a new tab), you might be one of the 209 million subscribers to the Netflix streaming service. , but you've never rented a physical DVD from Netflix.
Be kind rewind
After all, it's been 16 years since Netflix launched its video-on-demand streaming service that almost immediately upended its once lucrative DVD shipping business. The DVD business turned 25 this year.
This transition was not without controversy. Initially, Netflix offered the streaming service as an option as part of the DVD shipping plan. You can stream as much as you want, but save only one DVD at a time. Before the advent of streaming, having three Netflix DVDs at once was not uncommon. The goal was to never be without new DVDs and consumables in the house.
As home broadband developed, people realized that being able to stream whatever they wanted meant there was no need to figure out in advance what they wanted to post home. Netflix was like the Zappos of watching movies at home. The appeal of DVD delivery quickly faded.
Rather than ride the wave to obvious fortune, Netflix panicked and took a detour or two. First, it tried to double the price of the combined streaming and delivery service (from around €7,99 per month to €15,99). Netflix then tried to sacrifice the DVD shipping service by turning it into a separate service called Qwixter.
In a way, that was smart, it allowed Netflix to focus on streaming, but since it was still only 2011, audiences weren't ready. Netflix sold and recombined the two companies. This cleverly allowed the DVD part to die slowly and I guess painlessly.
At press time, you can still sign up at DVD.com (opens in a new tab) for "delivered movies," though I wouldn't recommend it after reading this story.
As Netflix prepares to ship its final DVDs on September 29, 2023, I have no idea how many people are still renting discs from Netflix. That apparently only leaves Redbox, the kiosk-based DVD rental business, and Libraries, which continues to have DVD and Blu-ray collections for members who want to forego one of the best streaming services around.
This is the reality of today's home media consumption landscape. It's no longer a question of whether or not you can return the latest DVD of the highest-grossing movie to Netflix in time to have another one shipped to you. Instead, browse Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Apple TV+, HBOMax, or another streaming platform for your home entertainment needs.
No one will miss Netflix's DVD service, and we'll be the ones old enough to remember to tell our grandkids what it's like to open the mailbox and see it full of red envelopes.
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