Redbox's bankruptcy and the possible end of physical media, a tale of technology and the Retail Apocalypse

I woke up this morning not feeling like covering the Emmy winners today. Instead, I'm examining a "SciFi is Now" topic, the possible end of physical media through a Retail Apocalypse story. I begin with Bright Sun Films' Bankrupt - Redbox.

From its origins as a convenience store kiosk created by the McDonald's corporation, Redbox grew to become a massive DVD rental brand with tens of thousands of locations across America. However in 2024, the company came crashing down and will soon be lost to time forever. Join me today to find out what happened to this beloved brand.

Rebox could have been another Netflix, but it declined instead. Its succession of parent companies didn't help, especially toward the end. The pandemic played its part, too. Just the same, I learned a lot from this video and it's always a good day when I learn something new, even if it's a bad day for Redbox.

This is a bigger story than just the bankruptcy and liquidation of Redbox's parent company. Erik of Retail Archaeology responded to the end of Redbox by asking Is Physical Media Dead?

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at the state of physical media at Target and Walmart and the demise of Redbox.

His answer is that physical media is still alive at Walmart, but it appears to be endangered elsewhere.

Vox also asked Is Physical Media Dead?



Vox's answer is "not exactly" and "reports of physical media's death may be greatly exaggerated." That's a lot better than what I was expecting to write, which was "not dead yet." I'm relieved.