"This will be our final season": Netflix is ending its DVD-by-mail service
If you don’t even own a DVD player, you might be surprised that you can still rent DVDs from Netflix. However, due to dwindling demand for DVDs, the American media company will finally close its DVD-by-mail service this year.
On Tuesday, DVD Netflix announced that after 25 years, it will no longer send out DVDs, stating, “This will be our final season.”
In a tweet, the company said it would mail out the last red envelope in September.
On September 29th, 2023, we will send out the last red envelope. It has been a true pleasure and honor to deliver movie nights to our wonderful members for 25 years. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey, including this final season of red envelopes. pic.twitter.com/9lAntaL2ww
— DVD Netflix (@dvdnetflix) April 18, 2023
People expressed their sadness online at the announcement, adding that the DVD subscription offered more variety than the movies and TV shows on the streaming platform.
there are significantly less films available for streaming than were at video stores / on home video and because of licensing rights and algorithmic curatorial demands, there always will be.
netflix dvd remains the only way you can see *many* films. this is a true loss. https://t.co/TF13U6xCrf
— maya cade (@mayascade) April 18, 2023
I dead-ass still use this service like there are things Netflix DVD has that you can’t find elsewhere. This is actually bad. https://t.co/ZsTTYccbtz
— Quinton Reviews🎬 (@Q_Review) April 18, 2023
I understand this, but it still makes me sad. The DVD catalogue is so, SO much wider and deeper than streaming.
I first rented a Netflix DVD in Nov 2003 (2 Fast 2 Furious; rated it 3 stars). I’ve rented 1,206 more discs since; Mann’s ‘Miami Vice’ is sitting on my shelf now. pic.twitter.com/gBhgpWN9nZ— James Fisher (@FisherTKTK) April 18, 2023
In the FAQs section, the company admitted it was a “difficult decision to wind down [DVD Netflix] at the end of September.”
“Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members, but as the DVD business continues to shrink, that’s going to become increasingly difficult,” reads the statement. “Making 2023 our final season allows us to maintain our quality of service through the last day and go out on a high note.”
Netflix started offering the monthly DVD subscription service in 1999, with 239,000 people subscribing in the first year. Since then, the company has delivered over five billion red envelopes across the US.
Returns will continue to be accepted until October 27. Those with streaming subscriptions will not be impacted. However, the DVD subscription will automatically be cancelled.
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