Netflix’s once-iconic DVD-by-mail service is finally coming to an end, a quarter century after two Silicon Valley visionaries came up with the idea that destroyed Blockbuster video stores while paving the way for video streaming, which has revolutionized the entertainment industry.
After its five remaining distribution centers in California, Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey mail their final discs on Friday, the DVD service that has consistently declined in the shadow of Netflix’s video streaming service will cease operations.
Less than one million remaining DVD service subscribers can retain the final discs that arrive in their mailboxes.
Longtime Netflix DVD subscriber Amanda Konkle said on Thursday as she awaited the arrival of her final disc, the 1971 British horror film “The Nightcomers” starring Marlon Brando, “It’s sad.” “It makes me feel sentimental. Acquiring these DVDs has been an integral part of my regimen for decades.
Netflix’s DVD-By-Mail Service Bows Out As Its Red-And-White Envelopes Make Their Final Trip
Some of the remaining DVD enthusiasts will receive up to ten discs as a farewell gift, including 41-year-old Konkle, who has viewed more than 900 titles since joining the service in 2006. In the hopes of being selected for the 10 DVD giveaway, Konkle prioritized Brando films and older films that are difficult to locate on streaming services in her queue.
At its height, the DVD had 16 million subscribers who could choose from more than 100,000 titles. But in 2011, Netflix decided to separate its DVD business from its streaming business, which now claims 238 million subscribers worldwide and generates $31.5 billion in annual revenue.
On the other hand, the DVD service generated only $146 million in revenue last year, making its eventual closure inevitable against the backdrop of intensifying competition in video streaming, which has compelled Netflix to cut costs to increase profits.
“It’s bittersweet,” Netflix’s CEO Marc Randolph said when the company delivered its first DVD, “Beetlejuice,” in April 1998. “We knew this day was coming, but the miraculous thing is that it didn’t come 15 years ago.”
SOURCE – (AP)
