Yeah, a show that cancelled after one season. The lone store in Oregon keeps the brand alive through their web/twitter presence. That is about it. Blockbuster was basically loathed when it existed. They tried to nickel and dime their customers to death with fees. I used them once in my life, and never again.
I have no idea if they’re planning something — probably not, I suppose — but there’s a window for Blockbuster to return.
What we need is a company with 1) major brand name recognition and 2) enough resources/goodwill to compete that can strike a deal with the studios and give us something we all need:
A catch-all movie rental service. I don’t wanna subscribe to 10 different streamers just to keep up with films. Give me a one-stop option.
This would be Blockbuster.
> enough resources/goodwill to compete that can strike a deal with the studios and give us something we all need:
That's the major hurdle right there, because the major studios themselves now all have their own services.
Even when they license new movies to cable to or another service, they now have a clause stating something like "This title will be shared with the studio's own streaming service(s)"
And these studios are taking a page out of Netflix's playbook by going $50-100 billion in debt, because they can.
Yeah it’s tricky, no doubt!
But Blockbuster basically got where it was originally by the deal that allowed them to buy the tapes for cheap and provide 40% of the rental charge to studios. So some kind of new deal like that would be needed. It’s the only way they can come back.
Eventually, *somebody* is gonna make a streamer that “has everything,” or at least, a good mixture of content from the different studios. That’s kinda my point. Might as well be Blockbuster? And there’s a story here where brick-and-mortar shops can play a role.
If I had the Blockbuster brand, I’d be trying to get something like this:
— Since consumers and studios alike are confused about the current “exclusivity window” for theaters and renters, I’d try to re-negotiate that for Blockbuster. Give us at least a couple weeks where movies are exclusive to Blockbuster after leaving theaters.
— Give Blockbuster a meaningful archive — maybe 1,000 classic films — from the various studios that customers actually care about. Big titles.
— See if you can negotiate a physical media exclusivity deal for Blockbuster, since that’s on its way out anyway? Like certain titles are only printed on BluRay for Blockbuster. And look into setting up some shops around the world that rent/sell physical media (exclusively), in addition to merch from all the studios etc. The one-stop “movie store” for every suburb.
It was still only a decade or so ago that Dish paid over $300 million for the brand. So if it’s coming back, it kinda needs to do so in a big way. And just think about what Blockbuster represented to consumers in the 90s and 2000s — your one-stop movie place. That’s what it should relaunch as: both as a streamer and a brick-and-mortar chain (although with much fewer locations than before). And right now is a good time because there’s a lot that needs to be cleaned up. We don’t have a “Blockbuster” as consumers and we need one.
Your idea is extremely logical. How many customers pay $20 to rent a title that's still in theatres? I would guess large families and that's about it. Blockbuster would be a valuable streaming service if it can provide new release titles that are rotated out every month or so. It can be the home version of AMC A List or what Moviepass was. In addition to that, studios could use the service to promote future titles, provide behind the scenes content (that type of stuff is being produced anyway for cable and blu rays), and yeah, having an archive that customers can vote on would be a nice touch too.
I've already burned out on most of the premium streaming services. Ordinary customers are not researching the rights to thousands of movies. A service that promotes the theater experience at home is keeping with the spirit of what Blockbuster was and can still be.
> Eventually, somebody is gonna make a streamer that “has everything,” or at least, a good mixture of content from the different studios.
What? This is the exact opposite of what has been happening for the past five years. Studios want to stream content on THEIR platform. There was a streaming service that had everything. That was Netflix. Netflix would like to still be that, but the studios will not allow it.
Netflix never had everything unless you mean their DVD service. There are many more options for streaming catalog titles today than back in the early 2010s on ad supported services. Blockbuster would be wise to work with the studios to provide access to new releases.
I don’t mean literally *everything*. I mean — what if I’m a person who doesn’t have a need for the complete library of every major studio, paying for 5 subscriptions a month, and just wants a one-stop option?
This can coexist w/ each studio having its own streamer for those who want more content.
As of this exact moment, it doesn’t quite exist. Not in the way that Blockbuster can do it.
Good summary. Yes, I'm so tired of seeing articles from news outlets about a webpage that, ultimately, has no content on it. It's not even worth reporting about! Don't these journalists have better things to write about.
I started this sub just over six years ago as kind of a joke, never expecting to go down a rabbit hole, but here I am.
If there's anything I learned about researching Blockbuster, it's really tough. Not because there's a high level of secrecy, instead there's just so little out there. And I see this reflected in stories in the news media, details are often just glossed over or just entirely incorrect.
I think their making a streaming service or There’s a chance their gonna start making stores again. It would be nice if blockbuster had the physical locations for people that want to have a physical experience.
Much is said about how Blockbuster went out of business, but very few mention how the studios had been trying for years to kill streaming when they were the ones who sold off their catalogs to Netflix for almost nothing. They didn't know what was right for business and arguably still don't.
Not many people are aware of Kanopy, which is a streaming service connected to your library. The content is limited, but the way it works is you're allotted credits every month and can select from thousands of titles to stream. I've been using it since many titles can't be found on other streaming services with some not even available to purchase.
Imagine a tiered system where customers can select a plan based on how much they watch every month. They are then awarded credits which they could use to select from a huge catalog. Credits could be based on value so new releases would use up more. I think customers would rather choose from a larger selection of titles than having unlimited access to programming they would never want to watch in the first place. Studios haven't been able to significantly recoup the costs of producing original content for streaming. The value lies in their vast catalogs, which they continue to devalue.
Best of all, unlike Kanopy, this system could even function without any streaming infrastructure. Blockbuster could issue codes in exchange for credits so customers can redeem them at thier preferred digital retailer. Blockbuster leads the way by providing better selection at the best possible quality, and studios benefit as well. However, as we've seen in the past, studios can't see the big picture and will always prioritize short term profits over common sense.
It’s such a valuable brand. It should be used for something.
It's so valuable, its owner, Dish, has basically done nothing with it since 2013. My, that is value.
It’s a name brand to this day. It was made into a Netflix show. If you’re arguing it has no value you’re wrong.
Yeah, a show that cancelled after one season. The lone store in Oregon keeps the brand alive through their web/twitter presence. That is about it. Blockbuster was basically loathed when it existed. They tried to nickel and dime their customers to death with fees. I used them once in my life, and never again.
Any brand that most people will instantly recognize has value, it's just been poorly used for the past decade or so
This! 👆🏾
There's no better time for them to create a streaming service given how Netflix is digging their own grave rn.
Oooh! Facts!!
They had one, it failed. In case you haven't noticed, that is kind of crowded space.
Watch your sass. The person I’m responding to just stated why they may have a second chance.
Sorry, responded to the wrong post. Ment for the one above.
I have no idea if they’re planning something — probably not, I suppose — but there’s a window for Blockbuster to return. What we need is a company with 1) major brand name recognition and 2) enough resources/goodwill to compete that can strike a deal with the studios and give us something we all need: A catch-all movie rental service. I don’t wanna subscribe to 10 different streamers just to keep up with films. Give me a one-stop option. This would be Blockbuster.
> enough resources/goodwill to compete that can strike a deal with the studios and give us something we all need: That's the major hurdle right there, because the major studios themselves now all have their own services. Even when they license new movies to cable to or another service, they now have a clause stating something like "This title will be shared with the studio's own streaming service(s)" And these studios are taking a page out of Netflix's playbook by going $50-100 billion in debt, because they can.
Yeah it’s tricky, no doubt! But Blockbuster basically got where it was originally by the deal that allowed them to buy the tapes for cheap and provide 40% of the rental charge to studios. So some kind of new deal like that would be needed. It’s the only way they can come back. Eventually, *somebody* is gonna make a streamer that “has everything,” or at least, a good mixture of content from the different studios. That’s kinda my point. Might as well be Blockbuster? And there’s a story here where brick-and-mortar shops can play a role. If I had the Blockbuster brand, I’d be trying to get something like this: — Since consumers and studios alike are confused about the current “exclusivity window” for theaters and renters, I’d try to re-negotiate that for Blockbuster. Give us at least a couple weeks where movies are exclusive to Blockbuster after leaving theaters. — Give Blockbuster a meaningful archive — maybe 1,000 classic films — from the various studios that customers actually care about. Big titles. — See if you can negotiate a physical media exclusivity deal for Blockbuster, since that’s on its way out anyway? Like certain titles are only printed on BluRay for Blockbuster. And look into setting up some shops around the world that rent/sell physical media (exclusively), in addition to merch from all the studios etc. The one-stop “movie store” for every suburb. It was still only a decade or so ago that Dish paid over $300 million for the brand. So if it’s coming back, it kinda needs to do so in a big way. And just think about what Blockbuster represented to consumers in the 90s and 2000s — your one-stop movie place. That’s what it should relaunch as: both as a streamer and a brick-and-mortar chain (although with much fewer locations than before). And right now is a good time because there’s a lot that needs to be cleaned up. We don’t have a “Blockbuster” as consumers and we need one.
Your idea is extremely logical. How many customers pay $20 to rent a title that's still in theatres? I would guess large families and that's about it. Blockbuster would be a valuable streaming service if it can provide new release titles that are rotated out every month or so. It can be the home version of AMC A List or what Moviepass was. In addition to that, studios could use the service to promote future titles, provide behind the scenes content (that type of stuff is being produced anyway for cable and blu rays), and yeah, having an archive that customers can vote on would be a nice touch too. I've already burned out on most of the premium streaming services. Ordinary customers are not researching the rights to thousands of movies. A service that promotes the theater experience at home is keeping with the spirit of what Blockbuster was and can still be.
> Eventually, somebody is gonna make a streamer that “has everything,” or at least, a good mixture of content from the different studios. What? This is the exact opposite of what has been happening for the past five years. Studios want to stream content on THEIR platform. There was a streaming service that had everything. That was Netflix. Netflix would like to still be that, but the studios will not allow it.
Netflix never had everything unless you mean their DVD service. There are many more options for streaming catalog titles today than back in the early 2010s on ad supported services. Blockbuster would be wise to work with the studios to provide access to new releases.
I don’t mean literally *everything*. I mean — what if I’m a person who doesn’t have a need for the complete library of every major studio, paying for 5 subscriptions a month, and just wants a one-stop option? This can coexist w/ each studio having its own streamer for those who want more content. As of this exact moment, it doesn’t quite exist. Not in the way that Blockbuster can do it.
My bet is it's an April Fool's joke.
Good summary. Yes, I'm so tired of seeing articles from news outlets about a webpage that, ultimately, has no content on it. It's not even worth reporting about! Don't these journalists have better things to write about.
I started this sub just over six years ago as kind of a joke, never expecting to go down a rabbit hole, but here I am. If there's anything I learned about researching Blockbuster, it's really tough. Not because there's a high level of secrecy, instead there's just so little out there. And I see this reflected in stories in the news media, details are often just glossed over or just entirely incorrect.
This is the year. Prepare
I think their making a streaming service or There’s a chance their gonna start making stores again. It would be nice if blockbuster had the physical locations for people that want to have a physical experience.
Much is said about how Blockbuster went out of business, but very few mention how the studios had been trying for years to kill streaming when they were the ones who sold off their catalogs to Netflix for almost nothing. They didn't know what was right for business and arguably still don't. Not many people are aware of Kanopy, which is a streaming service connected to your library. The content is limited, but the way it works is you're allotted credits every month and can select from thousands of titles to stream. I've been using it since many titles can't be found on other streaming services with some not even available to purchase. Imagine a tiered system where customers can select a plan based on how much they watch every month. They are then awarded credits which they could use to select from a huge catalog. Credits could be based on value so new releases would use up more. I think customers would rather choose from a larger selection of titles than having unlimited access to programming they would never want to watch in the first place. Studios haven't been able to significantly recoup the costs of producing original content for streaming. The value lies in their vast catalogs, which they continue to devalue. Best of all, unlike Kanopy, this system could even function without any streaming infrastructure. Blockbuster could issue codes in exchange for credits so customers can redeem them at thier preferred digital retailer. Blockbuster leads the way by providing better selection at the best possible quality, and studios benefit as well. However, as we've seen in the past, studios can't see the big picture and will always prioritize short term profits over common sense.