Netflix started with red envelopes that contained DVDs for rent chosen by subscribers, but that part of their service is coming to an end after 25 years.
In honor of the end of Netflix sending out DVDs through the mail, subscribers who still use the service will get a chance to review “up to 10 extra discs” in the mail as the final DVDs are mailed out on Sept. 29, according to ”Today.” Subscribers just have to opt in by Aug. 29. And the best part? They don’t have to mail the DVDs back.
Netflix announced in April that the DVD-by-mail business will be shutting down after 25 years. Variety reported that since 1998, it has mailed out over five billion DVD and Blu-ray rentals across the country.
The service started to decline as Netflix launched its first video-streaming service in 2007, according to Variety.
“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, obtained by Variety.
Returns will be accepted until Oct. 27, 2023, Variety reported.
“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 said in a FAQ on its website, according to Variety.
According to an email obtained by “Today,” the DVDs will just show up in the mail to those who are awarded them without any notification so it will be like a surprise in your mailbox.
