Skip to main content

Streaming Shutdown: Redbox, Verizon give up on Redbox Instant

Calling it quits after less than two years in operation, Redbox and Verizon are closing down the streaming subscription component of Redbox’s rental business. Likely attributed to a lack of subscribers as well as rumors of subscriber credit card information being used for fraudulent purchases, Redbox struggled significantly to pull market share away from competitors like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus. According to the timeline of the shutdown process, Redbox will allow subscribers to continue streaming up until 11:59 p.m. October 7 and will issue refunds to customers that recently renewed their subscription.

Admittedly, Redbox entered the crowded market of streaming video services at a late date during December 2012. While services like Netflix and Hulu Plus were already heavily investing money in creating original content, Redbox was attempting to compete against the existing catalog of content available on other services. Redbox originally launched with a small percentage of the same competing content, but included a number of physical rentals each month in the deal. Hypothetically, it was arguably a good deal for existing Redbox users that rented multiple discs per month, assuming those users were savvy to streaming video.

Recommended Videos

As Redbox and Verizon attempted to improve the library of streaming content on Redbox Instant over the last 18 months, competitors were gaining accolades from critics and subscribers for original programming. In addition, the credit card fraud issue caused Redbox to shut down the ability to subscribe to Redbox Instant (as a new subscriber) approximately three months ago. According to company insiders, the streaming service has been operating at a loss and wasn’t increasing subscribers at a rate that would have brought the service to a porfitable point in the near future.

It’s likely that Redbox Instant applications on various hardware platforms will be removed in the near future. The application has been available on the PS4 and Roku 3 since late 2013 as well as the Xbox One since early 2014. The application has also been available for Android and iOS users as well.

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
An airport like you’ve never heard it before
Jordan Rakei recording the sound of an aircraft flying overhead.

Europe’s busiest airport has teamed up with a Grammy-nominated artist on a music project like no other.

Jordan Rakei was given access to all areas ... well, maybe not the runway when a plane was coming in ... at the U.K.’s Heathrow Airport to record numerous audio clips and soundscapes that he then incorporated into an ambient music track for travelers -- and anyone for that matter -- to enjoy.

Read more
One of the best TVs ever made is below $2,000, and comes with expert delivery
Panasonic Z95A

When you look through our current list of the best TVs, there are exactly two TVs that should stand out to you, even if you're a casual skimmer. The first is the Sony A95L QD-OLED, simply because it is at the top of the list. The second is the Panasonic Z95A, not because it's the runner-up (which it is) but because it's... Panasonic. It's just not a brand we see making winning TVs, but wow, what a winner the Z95A is. We immediately called it one of the best TVs ever made, something that will be apparent to your eyes if you get it. Now, what's exciting about this TV right now is that it has a low price. You can get the 65-inch version of the TV for $1,998 right now, a savings of over $1,200 off its usual $3,200 price point. You can even get a deluxe delivery and unpack for free if you select the right option on the sales page (accessible by tapping the button below). But, this deal has been around for some time now, since around the start of summer. With Prime Day here and ending soon, it's very likely the time for this deal to end as well. If you want one of the best TVs ever for under $2,000, be sure to tap the button below now.

$1,998 at Amazon

Read more
An amazing TV under $1,000 has a sub $500 Prime Day price (and it’s ending soon)
TCL QM6K

We're now in the final moments of Amazon's summer Prime Day 2025 event, and finding critical last-minute deals. Here's one that almost fundamentally changes how you'll likely think about a product. See, we have a whole list of the best TVs under $1,000, a price point that a ton of people that love TVs just don't feel comfortable crossing. Then, we have a separate list for budget TVs, the best TVs under $500. Even though prices (which move up and down!) are quantitative data points, the differences between a sub $1,000 and a sub $500 TV feel almost categorical in nature, like the difference between water and steam. This deal take the $600 55-inch TCL QM6K (one of the TVs in our 'under $1,000' list) and pushes its price down by $152. This puts it at a price of $448, which is an all time low for it on Amazon, transforms it into an 'under $500' TV. Tap the button below to get the transformative deal while Prime Day is still here or continue reading to see why we liked it so much even when it was over $500.

$448 at Amazon

Read more