Netflix will finally stop shipping discs to movie-watchers on September 29, 2023, meaning you will have to find your rental DVD or Blu-ray somewhere else. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced the end of Netflix disc and DVD shipping today, marking an end to the 25-year run for a service most people probably didn’t know was still in operation.
“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 said. “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. DVDs also led to our first foray into original programming — with Red Envelope Entertainment titles including Sherrybaby and Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion.”
Netflix’s thoughts on the end of its DVD offerings might seem a bit dramatic, but there’s no doubt that mailed disc rentals played an important part in its history. To help send off the DVD service, Netflix shared a graphic that highlights some of its accomplishments. The service began sending discs to viewers in 1998, with its first rental being Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice on March 10 of that year. Of the 5.2 billion discs shipped, its most popular title was The Blind Side. You can see more fun stats from Netflix’s DVD days below.
If you’re like the thousands of others that had no idea Netflix was still shipping discs to its subscribers, you should head over to DVD.com to visit the space in its final days. You’re free to still rent movies and shows as recent as Cocaine Bear, Top Gun: Maverick, and Better Call Saul until the service finally comes to an end this September. Stay tuned for updates as Netflix finally leaves behind its past.
