Redbox is planning to launch its own online video streaming subscription service. Definitely. But the details, the when and the who with, are a little thin on the ground. In fact, they’re pretty much non-existent at this point in time.
Redbox Streaming Plans
DVD kiosk retailer Redbox’ plans to launch a streaming video service first leaked in April 2010. Revealed at that time was a customer survey asking how interested people would be in a $3.95-per-month plan. This would undercut Netflix by a considerable margin.
In July the plans were cemented, and now, thanks to word from Redbox President Mitch Lowe at a meeting with analysts, confirmed beyond doubt. However, no details have yet been revealed, including price, launch schedule, and partners (if any).
Partnering With…
The most likely partner for Redbox would seem to be Amazon at this point, with the e-commerce company itself thought to be working on subscription-based a video streaming service. But Redbox does have other options, one of which is trying to go it alone.
Partnering together would be a good idea, because it would give both companies more muscle and more options in a market increasingly dominated by Netflix. On its own I’m not sure Redbox can compete, but with Amazon or another big company as its wingman, there’s definitely a possibility.
Conclusions
I’d like to see Netflix have some true competition in this space. Sure, there is Hulu Plus and a number of other services already out there, but these are prohibitively expensive and don’t offer the range of content Netflix does.
The problem for Redbox is one of timing. If it stalls too long then I can’t see the company ever catching up with Netflix. But there is also no point in launching until the content deals are in place. It’s certainly a dilemma.
[Via The L.A. Times]
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