Redbox has debuted on-demand movies and TV shows to its ad-supported streaming service Redbox Free Live TV, a report from Engadget says.
Users can download the Redbox app and access VOD freebies through the "Free on Demand" tab and then access free shows and movies through iOS or Android devices, Roku devices or Vizio displays.
The company is also working on support for LG and Samsung devices along with Xbox and Chromecast in the near future, Engadget reported.
The service was first debuted in February, and now has 89 channels available. Redbox says it now has "hundreds" of movies and shows available to watch, according to the report, including "fan favorites, cult classics and popular titles." There are also paid VOD rentals.
PYMNTS notes that the service, which broke from Redbox's traditional physical DVD rental kiosks, differed from most "live TV" style streaming such as Hulu's or IMDb's by being a curated set of movies with ads breaking them up.
The content is organized into channels, with some being Redbox originals like "Redbox Comedy" or "Redbox Rush," while others are from known brands like TMZ, USA Today, Fail Army, Now This, FilmRise, batteryPOP, Filmhub, Food52 and others.
While some content will expire based on the contracts associated, as with every streaming service, Redbox says there will "always be something available." Redbox has attempted other things like this before, including Redbox on Demand, the 2017 online marketplace for movies and TV that was an attempt to capitalize on the new appetite for streaming as customers largely turned away from DVDs.
The pandemic has dramatically shifted the paradigm for movies, with most theaters suffering as people have had to stay away to avoid viral infection. Warner Bros. recently capitalized on that by announcing they would be releasing their entire 2021 catalogue on HBO Max as well as in theaters. PYMNTS data found that most people likely wouldn't do pre-pandemic normal life activities like going to the theater until a vaccine was widely available.
