Verizon and Coinstar's Redbox DVD kiosk unit are teaming up for a subscription video service that offers both physical DVD rentals and digital video streaming for a monthly fee. "Isn't there some company that already does both of those things?" says Brad Tuttle at TIME. "Ah yes, Netflix!" After Netflix's disastrous 2011, Verizon and Redbox are just the latest businesses "trying to kick the company — and steal away customers — while it's down." And they should be a formidable team, especially after Redbox — already the No. 1 U.S. DVD renter — said Monday that it's buying the kiosks and DVDs of rival Blockbuster Express, giving Redbox "more locations than McDonald's and Starbuck combined," Redbox marketing chief Gary Cohen tells Fast Company. Is this a mortal threat to Netflix?
Netflix is in trouble: Any way you slice it, this is "bad news for Netflix," say Kevin Parrish at Tom's Guide. Combine Redbox's convenience — its kiosks are "seemingly on every street corner" — with Verizon's digital network and access to top content through its established ties to Hollywood studios, and you have a potential "Netflix killer." Verizon and Redbox are tight-lipped about the details, but they promise a service you can watch anywhere, at any time, on any media device.
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