Following the bankruptcy of Chicken Soup for the Soul, which acquired Redbox in 2022, people are taking advantage of abandoned Redbox DVD rental kiosks across the U.S. to collect free movies. Some individuals are even obtaining the kiosks themselves, either with permission or by purchasing them cheaply. The situation has led to a surge in activity on platforms like Reddit and Discord, where users share their experiences and discuss hacking the machines. Meanwhile, former employees are reportedly selling leftover DVDs online.
The decline in DVD and Blu-ray sales continues as streaming becomes more popular, leading companies like Redbox and Best Buy to reduce or eliminate their physical media offerings. A survey shows only 26.6% of people still buy new DVDs and Blu-rays, raising doubts about the future availability of new physical media.
Redbox's parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul, has expressed interest in acquiring Netflix's DVD rental business, but Netflix has declined the offer. After 25 years of mailing movies straight to customers' homes, Netflix will stop shipping discs from its DVD.com domain after September 29th. Redbox dominates the curbside DVD rental market with tens of thousands of red kiosks. Both Netflix and Redbox have been contending with a declining interest in DVD rentals as streaming continues to dominate at-home entertainment. Redbox CEO believes that Netflix's closure of its DVD rental service could benefit Redbox.
Netflix has announced that it will end its DVD-by-mail service on September 29, 2023, marking the end of 25 years of mailing DVDs to members. While the service has declined significantly in recent years, some longtime customers still find value in the DVD option, including for its selection, pricing, and added perks. Netflix's decision to shut down its DVD business could help it better focus resources as it expands into new markets such as gaming and live and interactive content. Some DVD subscribers are hoping that Netflix will sell their individual titles library, while others plan to focus on watching as many DVDs as they can before the service goes away.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment CEO Bill Rouhana expressed interest in acquiring Netflix's DVD business, which is set to shut down in September after 25 years. Despite reaching out to Netflix multiple times, Rouhana has been rebuffed each time. Redbox, already the largest DVD rental company in the US, plans to add another 1,500 kiosks at Dollar General stores. Rouhana believes the decision to shutter the service will benefit his company, as there will be a whole bunch of people who are going to look for a new place to get their DVDs.
