On what date did Netflix launch as a DVD e-commerce site?

Netflix launched as a DVD e-commerce site on April 14, 1998.

That date marks the public launch of Netflix's website, which offered DVDs for rent over the internet. The service began with a traditional per-rental model and a catalog of 925 titles. It was a very different business from today's streaming platform: customers selected physical discs online and received them through the mail.

Netflix had already been founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph on August 29, 1997, in Scotts Valley, California. The company initially explored both DVD sales and rentals, but it soon concentrated on rental-by-mail. In September 1999, Netflix introduced a monthly subscription plan; the company later used subscriptions, queues and the elimination of late fees to distinguish itself from video-store chains.

The date is often confused with Netflix's founding date or its streaming launch. August 29, 1997, is the founding date, while January 2007 marks the beginning of streaming. April 14, 1998, specifically refers to the launch of the original DVD e-commerce service.