What was the first Netflix DVD ever shipped? (It might surprise you!)

With Netflix in the news so much lately, now seemed like a good time to look back at the service’s fascinating history, including the company’s humble roots as a DVD rental service. Have you ever wondered what the first Netflix DVD shipped was when the company started in the late 1990s?

Netflix launched in 1998 and the company started by sending consumers DVDs to rent. The luxury of Netflix was that you could pick what movie you wanted from the comfort of your home and keep it for as long as you wanted, no late fees. Once you shipped the movie back you got another one. It is the DVD service that eventually pushed Blockbuster out of business.

As of 2019, Netflix had shipped more than five billion DVDs to its customers, which is pretty impressive. I’m sure that number has only increased since then.

What was the first Netflix DVD ever shipped?

The first Netflix DVD shipped was Beetlejuice (1988) on March 10, 1998! I wonder who the lucky person to receive that inaugural DVD was and if they realize they were the first person to get one of Netflix’s signature red envelopes.

Does Netflix still ship DVDs? Is Netflix DVD still active?

Even though Netflix is now synonymous with streaming, the Netflix DVD website is still active. You can add a DVD plan to your streaming subscription. There are two tiers, one is $9.99/month and allows you to have one DVD out a time and the other is the premier tier and costs $14.99/month.

The premier tier lets you check out two movies at a time. Both subscription plans come with free shipping, no late fees and the ability to cancel at anytime. You can keep your movie for as long as you want, return it, and then once it returns to headquarters another one is sent in its place.

The DVD website is actually pretty great if you’re a big movie buff as the library is expansive and gets new movies faster than streaming, plus there are tons of older films and shows you can’t watch anywhere else. It’s not just movies either, you can rent television seasons, too!