Netflix announced Tuesday that it would be sending its last red envelope on Sept. 29, 2023, ending its DVD mailing service after 25 years.
“Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members but as the business continues to shrink that’s going to become increasingly difficult.”
The now-ubiquitous streaming company began sending rented DVDs by mail in April 1998. Nearly a decade after its first disc was shipped out in a red envelope (that movie was “Beetlejuice”, by the way), the company introduced its online streaming and video service in 2007.
Since then, Netflix says it has sent over 5.2 billion mailer DVDs and accrued more than 230 million paid memberships for its streaming services. The company is currently valued at around $150 billion.
The move comes as the streaming giant continues to make its foray into producing and investing in original content. In March, Netflix won six major Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards, including best international feature for “All Quiet on the Western Front” and best animated feature film for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”
“We feel so privileged to have been able to share movie nights with our DVD members for so long, so proud of what our employees achieved and excited to continue pleasing entertainment fans for many more decades to come,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday, in part.
