It’s the top of an era.
Netflix is winding down its shipment of little red envelops containing DVDs, mailing the ultimate batch on Sept. 29 after 25 years of sending subscribers DVDs by mail.
Following many years of the shipments, the streaming behemoth announced what people can do with DVDs they never returned: Keep them freed from charge.
“We aren’t charging for any unreturned discs after 9/29. Please enjoy your final shipments for so long as you want,” DVD Netflix posted to its X account Monday.
Sending DVDs on to people’s homes helped land Netflix on the map years ago as consumers moved away from brick-and-mortar stores reminiscent of Blockbuster to select up their movie or TV show selections within the early 2000s.
“Those iconic red envelopes modified the way in which people watched shows and flicks at home – they usually paved the way in which for the shift to streaming. From the start, our members loved the selection and control that direct-to-consumer entertainment offered: the wide range of the titles and the power to binge watch entire series,” Netflix said in a press release back in April.
Netflix DVD enthusiasts could have a final promotional offer before the shipment program officially ends, allowing subscribers to use for as much as 10 free and random DVDs to be mailed to their homes, based on DVD Netflix’s X account.
“We feel so privileged to have been in a position to share movie nights with our DVD members for thus long, so pleased with what our employees achieved and excited to proceed pleasing entertainment fans for a lot of more many years to return,” Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said in the corporate’s press release on ending this system in April.
Netflix says they aren’t charging for any unreturned discs after 9/29. Getty Images
“To everyone who ever added a DVD to their queue or waited by the mailbox for a red envelope to reach: thanks.”