On an earnings call Thursday, Coinstar CEO Paul Davis confirmed that subsidiary Redbox would soon expand its portfolio to include a streaming product. Redbox currently owns and operates DVD movie rental kiosks situated in and around highly trafficked partner stores across the country. These unmanned kiosks allow customers to rent DVDs at low prices using an automated vending system. Customers are then charged for each day they keep the DVDs until they are returned. In an effort to compete further with rival Netflix, which now offers a popular streaming service called Watch Instantly, Redbox will introduce a Web-based streaming service some time next year. Though the service is expected to provide unlimited streaming for a fixed monthly price, Davis wouldn’t commit when asked whether the company would offer an all-you-can-eat model or an a la carte option similar to Apple’s iTunes model. Redbox’s kiosks played a major role in toppling the once-dominant Blockbuster, and it is likely safe to assume it will attack the streaming market just as aggressively.
