Too little, too late: Blockbuster gives up on trying to beat Netflix

[DainBramaged]

Growing up, Blockbuster was the place to go to get videos. When I was a kid, we’d drive down to the now-shuttered big, bright corner store in Santa Monica to pick out movies to watch. Later, in college, I patronized Berkeley’s local indie shop Reel Video (also now defunct) on the rare occasions that I wanted to rent something. But by my junior year in college (2003), I—along with millions of Americans—discovered Netflix, and happily devoured as many films as I could.

In other words, I pretty much haven’t thought about Blockbuster in well over a decade—and yet, the tenacious company is still out there. (There’s one just around the corner from me in Oakland!) Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

It was just a year ago that Blockbuster announced it would be offering a mailed DVD and streaming movie service (yes, à la Netflix) as a way to go head-to-head with the California company that has re-defined how we consume TV and movies.

But this week, Dish Network (Blockbuster’s parent company) CEO Charlie Ergen said the company is now giving up on that strategy.


http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/10/too-little-too-late-blockbuster-gives-up-on-trying-to-beat-netflix/

[porphyrian]

1. Blockbuster is still in business? Huh. n/t

[DainBramaged]

5. From over 9000 stores nationwide in 2004 to 900 today

[porphyrian]

7. I'm amazed there are that many. All of the ones near me closed. n/t

[Curtland1015]

2. I remember when Netflix first came out. I said, "They MAIL you DVDs!?"

"Ha! That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!"

Of course, now I can't live without it.

[Cha]

8. I wasn't thinking "stupid" but was like..

Wow, how does that even work?! I remember opening my first dvd and nearly screwing it up. Now, I can do it in my sleep.

[FSogol]

3. Good riddance. They had the crappiest customer service. n/t

[Fumesucker]

4. Railroad and steamship companies didn't establish successful airlines when travel went to air.

When the business paradigm changes, whatever it might be, it's rare for the established company in the old paradigm to successfully move to the new one and also be competitive there.

Netflix themselves might be in trouble too, it wasn't that long ago they managed to hack off a lot of their customers.

[Cha]

6. Block who? Although I think

competition is good for netflix.. keeps them getting better which I have appreciated. I imagine they're helping the USPS's economy, too.

Their Instant Watching could use some more More variety..that may be my fault since I watch a lot!

[JI7]

9. Gives up ? did they ever try,i thought they were gone for a while

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. Blockbuster has been also trying to complete with Red Box. They put boxes in our

local 99cent store. never saw them being used.