Netflix to shut down DVD rentals in September; Here’s the first, most popular movies shipped

Netflix to shut down DVD rentals in September; Here’s the first, most popular movies shipped

The days of checking the mail for that latest DVD are over.

Netflix said Tuesday it is ending DVD rental business after 25 years, announcing it plans to ship its final discs on Sept. 29.

“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,” the company wrote in a release.

The shrinking demand for physical rentals is making it “increasingly difficult” to offer the quality of service the company wants.

Netflix shipped its first disc in 1998. For those curious, it was “Beetlejuice,” starring Michael Keaton. It has since mailed more than 5.2 billion movies to more than 40 million customers.

Netflix started streaming on-demand video in 2007, and, by 2009, became the company’s most popular offering by 2009. Netflix moved the DVD service to DVD.com in 2016.

The most popular movie title? That would be “The Blind Side,” the 2009 Sandra Bullock film that tells the story of Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who overcame an impoverished upbringing to play in the NFL with the help of his adoptive parents Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.