The way we consume movies has changed so much over the past few decades. You used to have to load the family into the station wagon to drive to the local movie theater, then pay an arm and a leg to see the latest blockbuster flick.

Redbox changed the game — you could roll up to nearly any store, from gas stations to drug stores, and for less than $3, you could rent a new movie on a DVD and take it home to watch, then return it to the machine the next day.

But now, that is changing, too.

End of an Era: Goodbye to Redbox DVD Rental Stations

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the company that owns Redbox, recently filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Different from Chapter 11 bankruptcy — when a business is re-organizing its assets — Chapter 7 is the complete liquidation of all things the company owns. In this case, that includes every single Redbox machine in all cities and states.

Redbox has been a popular thing in America for the better part of two decades now, so this is a big blow to DVD users.

What Happened to Redbox?

Redbox’s business had been in decline for a decade before Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment bought it in 2020. Its revenue peaked in 2013 at $1.97 billion, and the chain at once time had operated more than 43,000 kiosks in the U.S. and Canada, stocked with movies, TV shows and games.

Now, those unmistakable giant red boxes outside of stores will be a thing of the past. Also, roughly a thousand Chicken Soup employees have been laid off.

Some of these employees are reportedly still owed money from the company, which they will never see.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today’s top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!