Looks like Redbox Instant by Verizon, the streaming service joint venture that is trying to take on Netflix, won’t actually be launching until next year. Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said Tuesday during the UBS Media conference that the service will launch in the late first or early second quarter of 2013, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The service will enter an extended beta test in early January, McAdam said.
Verizon and Redbox have kept mum on key details of the service, but GigaOM broke the story last week that Rebox is targeting a price point of $ 6 per month for basic streaming access, with $ 8 per month giving users an additional four DVD credits that will be redeemable at Redbox kiosks. Instructions on a help section meant for beta testers that was temporarily publicly available also suggested that the launch could happen as soon as December 17. The company had also previously stated that it would launch before the end of this year.
Redbox Instant representatives didn’t want to comment on those details, but the company sent over a statement credited to its CEO Shawn Strickland: “We appreciate the enthusiasm for Redbox Instant by Verizon and we look forward to sharing the full details of the service soon.”
Now we know: soon won’t actually be that soon.
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