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BY NATHAN BYRNE
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN
The rumored Redbox Instant video streaming service is officially a real thing. WBBM reports
the joint venture between Redbox and Verizon aims to …
“… dethrone Netflix as the king of streaming video. The DVD kiosk company’s launching
a new plan called Redbox Instant that will allow users to stream online.”
Redbox and Verizon announced the plan back in July. According to Forbes, Redbox Instant
has content deals in place with Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM. Plus, KSHB says
the …
“… unlimited streaming video plan includes movies from Warner Bros. and pay-TV channel,
Epix.”
You heard right — just movies. No word of Redbox’s offering including TV series like
its rival Netflix does. But according to PC World, Redbox hopes …
“… to make up for it by offering more popular movies … For instance, Redbox Instant
will offer ‘The Hunger Games,’ a film that hit theaters last March, for instant
streaming.”
So, the big question — how much does it cost? Early reports suggested there might
be a $6-per-month, streaming-only option. But that doesn’t appear to be part of the
deal. WWLP says it’s …
“ … $8 a month, or $9 a month for those wanting Blu-ray discs. The plan also includes
four nights of physical DVD rentals.”
Meanwhile, a writer for AllThingsD suggests the most interesting thing about Redbox is
…
“ … what it could be, one day, if [Verizon] wants to push it. The service isn’t confined
to Verizon’s fiber or wireless footprint, which means it could truly make it a national
video service, if it wants to commit the resources. So far this looks more like a toe in the water
than anything else.”
The new service is set to launch as an invitation-only beta later this month.