Netflix is offering hardcore fans of its DVD-by-mail service one last disc-bingeing session before it folds the iconic red envelopes for good.
In April, the company announced the shutdown of its dwindling DVD-by-mail business after 25 years. In an email this week to the remaining last-gaspers on the DVD plans, Netflix extended a new “finale surprise” offer: Those who opt in could receive up to 10 extra discs, selected from their DVD queue, that will be shipped on Sept. 29 — the final day it’s mailing out discs.
“Let’s have some fun for our finale!” Netflix says in the email, as first reported by Collider. “You won’t know if any extra envelopes are headed your way until they arrive in your mailbox!” Eligible customers must click on a link to activate the promotion, and Netflix adds in a disclaimer that is subject to “limited quantity” and “while supplies last.”
The email concludes, “We wish you happy viewing and truly thank you for being part of our final season. Enjoy each and every red envelope.”
After the final Netflix DVDs are mailed out on Sept. 29, the company says, it will accept returns until Oct. 27, 2023.
“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,” Netflix says in an FAQ on its site. Since 1998, according to the company, it has mailed out more than 5 billion DVD and Blu-ray rentals to subscribers across the U.S.
Netflix’s revenue from the DVD-by-mail business steadily declined over the years, as the company pushed users toward the streaming service. In 2022, the DVD business generated $145.7 million, down 20% year-over-year, which represented just 0.5% of its total revenue.
Netflix first launched video-streaming in 2007, and originally that was available as part of its DVD-by-mail subscription plans. In 2011, Netflix decided to split streaming off from the newly named Qwikster DVD business — which spurred a wave of cancelations, leading the company to call off the plan after less than a month.
“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,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a blog post in April announcing the wind-down of the business. DVDs also led to Netflix’s first foray into original programming, with Red Envelope Entertainment titles including “Sherrybaby” and “Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion.”
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