As Redbox Preps New Digital Distribution Model, They Hit The One Billion Rented Mark

With more and more competition coming from all sides of the video rental spectrum, Redbox has hit quite an interesting milestone.

According to a press release issued by Coinstar, the owner of the brand of red video rental kiosks, Redbox kiosks have recently sold their one billionth film.  The movie you may be wondering? None other than the beacon of quality known as Clash Of The Titans.

All joking aside, this is a telling milestone, and even though it has come six years into the company’s history, the 24,000 plus kiosks are doing their part to not only make a massive name for themselves, but have also played a part in completely changing the way we rent films, even aiding in the slow decay of brick and mortar staples like the now defunct Movie Gallery, and the biggest name of them all, Blockbuster.

While this may seem like a story saved for a Trivial Pursuit card for most people, consumers do get a reward for this news.  The company, for the month of September, is offering a free rental for users of the kiosks.  All one has to do is find the unique DVD code found on the rental, and enter it at redbox.com/thanks, to receive a coupon for a free, one-night rental.

This won’t be the last time we hear of them either, at least, not for a while.

According to The LA Times, Coinstar CEO Paul Davis has said that the company’s inevitable step into the digital distribution realm, something Redbox executive Mitch Lowe has talked about as a much needed step forward for the company, will “likely involve a partnership and will be detailed on its quarterly conference call with investors next month.”

Your guess is as good as mine as to what to expect with this new project from Redbox, but one would assume that it would be a monthly service, and would be something more than just a Hulu like online model.  I would assume that physical rentals would somehow be offered by the subscription model, along with online streaming, but then again, that could be something far more difficult, as it’s not a mail order system like Netflix.

Personally, I don’t know if this is quite the right step for Redbox.  It goes without saying that I’m not the biggest fan, nor user, of the red kiosks.  However, I know for a fact that they do serve their purpose, and if I’m ever in the need to rent the latest blockbuster film, or 50 Cent movie, there is no better place than a Redbox kiosk, taking a light chunk out of my wallet, and being massively convenient. They offer a certain collection of films, to a certain collection of movie watchers, and it obviously fits that purpose perfectly.  However, I think it would be wiser to expand their catalog instead of simply expanding their reach technology wise.

What do you think?

Source: LA Times