US politician writes letter to Netflix CEO to bring back this obsolete service: Streaming is not everything

A Republican councilman from New York, Frank Morano, has sent a letter to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, urging the company to reinstate its DVD-by-mail service. Morano argued that the service "filled a vital gap for seniors and technophobes" and called for the return of the iconic red envelopes, which were discontinued by the company in 2023. In the letter (see by Staten Island Advance), Morano wrote: “Streaming is wonderful, but it is not everything. DVDs filled a vital gap for seniors and technophobes, film lovers and collectors, and consumers with limited broadband access. For many, those little red envelopes weren’t just discs — they were lifelines to cinema.”

Meanwhile, Morano also argued that the DVDs made it possible for “any household with a mailing address” to join in “the cinematic conversation.”

“Ending it may have made sense to accountants, but to ordinary people, it felt like the curtain closed on an era that still had a full house applauding,” Morano added.

He mentioned that the service was “one of the most democratic forms of entertainment distribution America has ever known -- any household with a mailing address could be part of the cinematic conversation.”

The report also cited the letter to claim that the US politician proposed that Netflix bring back the service in a “streamlined” format aimed at serving the communities that need it the most.

What we know about Netflix DVD service

Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service, which was launched in 1998 after a successful test mailing of a CD in 1997, was shut down in 2023 after 25 years of service. Started by co-founders Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings, the service shipped over five billion discs but was always intended to be replaced by newer technology. It operated exclusively in the US.

“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’s CEO said while announcing the end of the service in 2023.