You can now rent videos on Plex, a convenient way to watch movies without needing multiple services. Plex now has over 1,000 movie titles available for rent including popular hits like Barbie, Aquaman and the Lost Empire, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Wonka, and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. When you rent a movie, you have 30 days to start watching it and 48 hours to finish. Rental prices range from $3.99 to $5.99 and you can play the rented movie on any platform, even on Apple devices, despite them not allowing direct streaming from Plex. Rentals are currently only available in the US.
The task is to build a community of paying video renters on a platform that is not well-known for paid media. It’s interesting to note that Plex doesn’t offer video purchases, and there’s a reason for this. Plex CEO Keith Valory explained that the purchase process creates complexity as the platform would then need to store purchased content for an extended period. Plex aims to be a brand of aggregators of streaming services so that users can access diverse content in one place. Renting movies makes sense in this context as it provides a more convenient option compared to keeping track of restricted content on various streaming platforms. For many Plex users, video rentals can be a convenient alternative to dealing with changing apps, unreliable media availability, and growing subscription costs. As such, users may prefer to spend their rental money on Plex instead of using it for other storage purposes, highlighting the shifting nature of paid services in the industry.
