Netflix Reveals the Last Movie They Sent as a DVD

Netflix shared what the last DVD they ever sent out was. Some lucky Netflix user got a copy of True Grit from 2010. Yesterday, the streaming giant ended DVD rentals after decades in the business. Fans of the company’s efforts over the years nodded along with a Coen Brothers film being the last one out the door. Now, Netflix will just be a streaming operation and it feels like a changing of the guard. Yes, there are still places to rent physical DVDs, Blu-rays and other physical media. But, Netflix played such a big role in that whole song and dance for a lot of movie and TV fans out there. CEO Ted Sarandos talked about the end of DVD rentals on social media.

“Today, after 25 years, we ship our last DVD,” Netflix’s co-CEO said on his accounts. “It was a huge honor to join the incredible DVD team in Fremont this week to thank them for being a part of something that changed people’s lives. Those iconic red envelopes were so loved that we shipped more than 5 billion of them to cities and towns, big and small that otherwise would have had no access to the variety of films and television shows we made available. Thank you to all of our members and DVD employees for 25 history making years!”

Netflix Says Goodbye to DVD Rentals

On the official Netflix blog, the company said goodbye to DVD rentals with a very nostalgic little video. It charts the physical mail-in service from humble beginnings to where the market went over time. Fans of a certain age will get a kick out of the dial-up modem sounds and ever-more-scare gray plastic PCs. But, there was something about that red DVD envelope in the mail that felt like “the future” and now it’s gone. 

“In 1998, we delivered our first DVD. This morning, we shipped our last,” Netflix began. “For 25 years, we redefined how people watched films and series at home and shared the excitement as they opened their mailboxes to our iconic red envelopes. It’s the end of an era, but the DVD business built our foundation for the years to come – giving members unprecedented choice and control, a wide variety of titles to choose from and the freedom to watch as much as they want. Today, we wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for watching.”

Netflix Explains The DVD Decision

When the decision to get out of the DVD renting game came down, Sarandos had to explain why Netflix was abandoning something so core to its identity. “After an incredible 25 year run, we’ve decided to wind down DVD.com later this year. Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members but as the business continues to shrink that’s going to become increasingly difficult. So we want to go out on a high, and will be shipping our final discs on September 29, 2023,” Sarandos said.

“Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming. From the beginning, our members loved the choice and control that direct-to-consumer entertainment offered: the wide variety of the titles and the ability to binge watch entire series,” the executive would add. “DVDs also led to our first foray into original programming — with Red Envelope Entertainment titles including Sherrybaby and Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion.”

“We feel so privileged to have been able to share movie nights with our DVD members for so long, so proud of what our employees achieved and excited to continue pleasing entertainment fans for many more decades to come,” he continued. “To everyone who ever added a DVD to their queue or waited by the mailbox for a red envelope to arrive: thank you.”

Are you sad about Netflix ending DVD service? Let us know down in the comments!