The collapse of Redbox was fast and stunning, with the company's fire sale to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment in May 2022 coming just six months after its SPAC-fueled IPO.
With the pandemic paralyzing the theatrical pipeline, there were few, if any, anticipated DVD and Blu-ray titles to rent at Redbox kiosks.
With 39 titles expected to enter the physical rental pipeline this year, the Redbox kiosk business is growing again under Chicken Soup, which announced Monday the addition of 1,500 new stations positioned nationally at Dollar General Stores over the next two years.
By the time the rollout is completed, Dollar General will host around 5,000 Redbox kiosks.
The Redbox kiosks business peaked in 2012 with 43,500 locations. Chicken Soup said there are currently around 32,000 outlets.
“Dollar General has been an incredibly important strategic partner for Redbox, as we both serve value-conscious customers,” said Chicken Soup CEO William Rouhana, in a statement. “As the economy continues to challenge and impact consumers, expanding Redbox’s kiosks nationwide with Dollar General will provide millions of Americans additional access to more affordable entertainment.”
This year's slate will include a slew of major tentpole franchises, including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Fast X, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
