Netflix's DVD service is going out with a bang and mailing customers one last mystery shipment of 10 movies
- Netflix is sending DVD subscribers one last mystery shipment before sunsetting its rental service.
- The company will send DVD-by-mail customers up to 10 discs if they opt in before August 29.
Netflix's DVD rental service is winding down, but not before subscribers get one last order.
The company said in an email to its DVD-by-mail subscribers this week that it'll send them up to 10 extra discs as it prepares to sunset the service.
"After 25 years of movies in the mail, we're approaching the end of our final season," the email reads. "We really appreciate that you're sharing movie nights with us until the last day. Let's have some fun for our finale!"
DVD customers have until August 29 to opt in at this website, and the final DVDs will be shipped out on September 29. Customers won't know what movies they'll get; the films will be chosen from what's in their queue. Subscribers can get up to 10 mystery discs in the mail. Though the service is shuttering, customers will still have to return the discs by October 29. Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider asking what would happen to the vault of DVDs in its collection.
Netflix announced in April it is ending its nostalgic red-envelope service after 25 years, owing to its shrinking business as viewers transitioned to streaming. In 2022, Netflix generated roughly $31.5 billion in streaming revenues, compared to about $145 million from its DVD service, according to its annual report last 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 co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a blog post at the time. "Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming."
Since its first DVD shipment in March 1998, Netflix has mailed out more than 5.2 billion DVDs to 40 million unique subscribers over the years, according to the blog post.
Are you a longtime Netflix DVD subscriber? Email this reporter at sjackson@insider.com.