Two years after Redbox Instant was officially declared dead, the DVD rental business is poised to dip its toes into the video streaming service waters yet again.
Variety, citing sources familiar with the plans, reports that the company is working on a new version of its defunct Redbox Instant that aims to serve as a video-on-demand type service.
According to sources, the service — dubbed Redbox Digital — will allow customers to rent movies or TV show episodes for streaming or purchase.
Variety, which received concept screenshots and a working logo for the service, describes it as similar to the current Redbox website, with the addition of a digital content store.
The company reportedly has plans to integrate the service directly into the Redbox app and extend support to TV-connected platforms, Variety reports.
Unlike Redbox Instant, the new service looks to be a competitor for services like iTunes, Vudu, or Google Play, rather than Netflix.
For that reason, Variety points out it might have a fighting chance at success, unlike its predecessor.
Redbox Instant debuted in early 2013 as a partnership between the company and Verizon. The service planned to compete with Netflix while offering one thing that Netflix couldn’t: bonus instant DVD rentals from Redbox’s in-person kiosks.
The service was marred with issues early on, as it became a popular avenue for credit card thieves to test whether or not their ill-gotten card numbers were genuine.
Redbox Instant responded by first preventing current users from changing their payment info, then by cutting off new signups. The service never opened up to new subscriptions and closed in October 2014, just months before its second birthday.
Redbox Plans to Launch New Streaming Service ‘Redbox Digital’ [Variety]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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