Editing Redbox (section)

===Acquisition by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, bankruptcy and liquidation===
On May 11, 2022, [[Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment]] announced its intention to acquire Redbox for $375 million.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Dade |title=Redbox To Be Acquired By Crackle Parent Chicken Soup For The Soul Entertainment In All-Stock Deal Focused On Value End Of Streaming Market |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/redbox-is-acquired-by-crackle-parent-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment-streaming-1235021010/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=May 11, 2022}}</ref> The acquisition was completed on August 11, 2022, less than a year after Redbox went public.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Redbox Is Now Officially Part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment After $370 Million Deal Closes |url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/redbox-deal-close-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment-1235338943/ |website=Variety |date=August 11, 2022}}</ref> At the end of 2022, the company operated about 34,000 kiosks nationwide, with plans to increase that number with 1,000 more kiosks in 2023.<ref>[https://www.mediaplaynews.com/ex-redbox-chief-galen-smith-leaving-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment/ Ex-Redbox Chief Galen Smith Leaving Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment]</ref> In July 2023, CSSE announced a partnership with the video sharing platform [[TikTok]], under which screens showcasing top content from the service would be installed on at least 3,000 Redbox kiosks. These ads also displayed advertising sold by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's sales platform Crackle Connex.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Redbox Inks TikTok Deal to Stream Trending Videos, Serve Ads on 3,000-Plus DVD Rental Kiosks |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/redbox-tiktok-videos-ads-dvd-kiosks-1235667133/ |website=Variety |date=July 12, 2023}}</ref>

In August 2023, convenience store chain [[7-Eleven]] terminated its contract with Redbox due to its failure to pay commissions and demanded the kiosks be removed; Redbox failed to do so. Franchisees began to unplug machines and tape credit card readers shut. 7-Eleven eventually filed a lawsuit in June 2024.<ref name=":2" /> In February 2024, drug store chain [[CVS Pharmacy|CVS]] filed a lawsuit against Redbox for failure to pay commissions during the third quarter of 2022. Convenience store chain [[Sheetz]] followed suit the same month for not receiving payments since the end of 2022.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |date=2024-07-05 |title=Why Redbox has been powering down |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/5/24191963/redbox-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment-bankruptcy-why |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Redbox Kiosk Closing Notice.jpg|thumb|Shutdown notice on a Redbox kiosk at an [[Albertsons]] store in [[Chula Vista, California]] just south of [[San Diego]]]]
On April 23, 2024, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment announced a $636.6 million loss in 2023, and warned that without any options to generate additional financing, the company could be forced to liquidate or pause operations, and seek a potential [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] protection filing. However, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment did also report that Redbox's sales increased in 2023, seeing a 66% increase in annual revenue to $112.7 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/chicken-soup-reports-dollar637-million-loss-for-2023-preps-investors-for-bankruptcy|title=Chicken Soup Reports $637 Million Loss for 2023, Preps Investors for Bankruptcy|date=April 23, 2024|access-date=April 23, 2024|website=NextTV|language=en}}</ref>

By June 15, all Redbox kiosks in [[Hannaford Brothers Company|Hannaford]] grocery stores had been shut down.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Parsons |first=Jeff |date=2024-06-06 |title=Return Your Discs: Hannaford Supermarkets Will No Longer Have Redbox Kiosks in New England |url=https://wjbq.com/hannaford-supermarket-removing-red-box-kiosks/ |access-date= |website=Q97.9 |language=en}}</ref> On June 29, 2024, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after missing a week of paying its employees and failing to secure financing.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Dade |title=Redbox Owner Chicken Soup For The Soul Entertainment Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection |url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/redbox-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy-1235997730/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=June 29, 2024 |access-date=June 29, 2024}}</ref> On July 10, 2024, a bankruptcy judge ordered to convert Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's Chapter 11 bankruptcy into a [[Chapter 7 bankruptcy]] liquidation after accusing the company's previous CEO of misusing the business and failing to pay employees or support healthcare. With the Chapter 7 conversion, the company's assets were liquidated, resulting in the shut down of its subsidiaries, including Redbox. In addition, over 1,000 employees were laid off. The company's website and apps were taken down shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Redbox Officially Shuts Down Its Roku App Locking Customers Out of Their Movies & TV Shows |url=https://cordcuttersnews.com/redbox-officially-shuts-down-its-roku-app-locking-customers-out-of-their-movies-tv-shows/ |access-date=October 13, 2024 |website=Cord Cutters News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=2024-08-14 |title=Redbox app axed, dashing people's hopes of keeping purchased content |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/redbox-app-starts-going-away-removing-purchased-content-from-owners/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Randles |first=Jonathan |date=July 10, 2024 |title=Redbox Owner to Be Liquidated Following Alleged Mismanagement |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/bankruptcy-law/redbox-owner-to-be-liquidated-following-alleged-mismanagement?context=search&index=0 |access-date=July 10, 2024 |website=Bloomberg Law |language=en}}</ref>

Although many of Redbox's kiosks have been removed, many remaining kiosks are still functional and dispense discs. Some kiosks have been taken by hobbyists and tinkerers who aim to [[Reverse engineering|reverse engineer]] the software used by them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=2024-10-16 |title=Tinkerers Are Taking Old Redbox Kiosks Home and Reverse Engineering Them |url=https://www.404media.co/tinkerers-are-taking-old-redbox-kiosks-home-and-reverse-engineering-them/ |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=[[404 Media]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yerak |first=Becky |date=October 10, 2024 |title=Bankruptcy Took Down the Redbox Machine. If Only Someone Could Take Them Away. |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/redbox-vending-machine-kiosk-dvd-movies-4e285ee8 |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 14, 2024 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> A major company involved in the removal and disposal of Redbox kiosks is The Junkluggers, although most kiosks are removed by independent contractors.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Day |first=Lewin |date=2024-11-19 |title=The Great Redbox Cleanup: One Company Is Hauling Away America’s Last DVD Kiosks |url=https://hackaday.com/2024/11/19/the-great-redbox-cleanup-one-company-is-hauling-away-americas-last-dvd-kiosks/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=[[Hackaday]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The Junkluggers aim to recycle the metal used by the kiosks and donate the DVDs inside to community organizations.<ref name=":6" />