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NYC politician calls on Netflix to bring back obsolete service

Rhian Lubin in New York
Netflix phased out its DVD-by-mail service in 2023
Netflix phased out its DVD-by-mail service in 2023 (2007 AP)
  • New York City GOP councilman Frank Morano has called on Netflix to reinstate its DVD-by-mail service, which was discontinued in April 2023.
  • Morano argued that the service provided a vital connection for seniors, technophobes, film lovers, and those with limited broadband access.
  • He described the iconic red envelopes as “lifelines to cinema” and a “democratic form of entertainment distribution” that included all households with a mailing address.
  • Netflix ended the 25-year-old service, which had shipped over five billion discs in the US, citing a shrinking business model.
  • The DVD-by-mail service began in 1998, following a 1997 test by Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph to mail a compact disc.
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