The original Netflix subscription service is coming to an end. Don’t worry, the streaming service isn’t going anywhere, but the DVD mailing system that made Netflix a household name is officially going away later this year. On Tuesday, Netflix announced the end of the disc delivery system, which will be shipping its final movies on September 29th. This disc shipping system is what signaled the end of the era of video stores like Blockbuster, and bridged the gap for the streaming business Netflix is known for today.
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“After an incredible 25 year run, we’ve decided to wind down DVD.com later this year,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement. “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.”
“Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming,” Sarandos continued. “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.”
In addition to the announcement, Netflix shared some statistics about its 25-year-long journey with its DVD mailing subscription. Beetlejuice was the first DVD ever shipped by Netflix, placed in the mail on March 10, 1998. Over the course of its run, Netflix’s DVD subscription mailed over 5.2 billion DVD’s, with 40 million subscribers over the years.
Perhaps the most surprising fact about the service is its most popular title. The Blind Side, a sports biopic about former NFL offensive tackle Michael Oher, was the biggest movie in the history of Netflix DVDs. Knowing how popular that Sandra Bullock vehicle was with DVD subscribers adds even more context to the massive success of Bird Box on the streaming side of Netflix.
Did you ever use Netflix’s DVD subscription service? Are you disappointed to see it closing down? Let us know in the comments!
