Netflix to discontinue its DVD business after more than two decades of operation

Netflix Inc. announced it would be shutting down the DVD business that it established 25 years ago. It was the same business that helped make Netflix become a household name.

Its DVD rental service was also the company’s original business before it became known as a streaming service provider. Netflix today is the leading streaming company that provides services around the world.

But now, Netflix said it would officially close its DVD business that started it all. It will bid goodbye in the industry this fall, as per CNN Business. The company revealed this plan on Wednesday, April 19.

The streaming firm shared that it made the decision as the business has been declining. With this situation, the company said it would no longer be able to continue the operation of offering quality service. Netflix stated that customers could expect to see the last delivery of discs on Sept. 29.

Netflix’s also missed its second-quarter earnings target after market close on Tuesday, April 18. Its shares dropped by about six percent.

“After an incredible 25-year run, we have decided to wind down DVD.com later this year. 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,” Netflix’s co-chief executive officer, Ted Sarandos, said in a blog post on Wednesday. “So we want to go out on a high, and will be shipping our final discs on September 29, 2023.”

The co-CEO further stated, “Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home and they paved the way for the shift to streaming. 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.”