Blockbuster's Website Comes Back To Life, Signifying Unlikely Comeback (Or Something)
Is Blockbuster Video about to come back from the dead? While it's unclear precisely what is going on, something is happening with the once mighty video chain that has been more or less deceased for the better part of a decade. Blockbuster.com is now live once more and when you visit the website a message reads, "We are working on rewinding your movie." That is certainly ominous but it does suggest that something is going to happen — and likely soon.
Unfortunately, for the time being, there is very little information to go on. Dish still owns Blockbuster, having purchased the company out of bankruptcy back in 2011. They have done some stuff with the license, including board games and merchandise, but there has been no indication of attempting to revive the actual chain of retail stores. As it stands, there is one lone Blockbuster store located in Bend, Oregon, which was the subject of Netflix's 2020 documentary "The Last Blockbuster." The store even ran a Super Bowl ad this year.
So, should we recklessly speculate? Perhaps Dish sees a market to bring back the video store model. In an era where streaming has become expensive and frustrating, with movies and TV shows being dropped from services left and right, it's possible some people would go for this sort of thing. It would certainly have to be a smaller-scale operation, but nostalgia might get you just far enough to make it work. That seems unlikely though, and it is probably something more modest. For now, we wait.
The death of Blockbuster
Blockbuster Video was, for a time, one of the most powerful brands in all of entertainment. When the home video market was booming before streaming took over, Blockbuster was the go-to destination for watching movies from the comfort of home. It may be hard to consider now, but watching movies from your couch used to mean going to an actual store, renting them one by one, and returning them after you were done at an agreed upon time. Remember late fees?
Blockbuster hit its peak with around 9,000 stores in 2004 before it all came crashing down. After filing bankruptcy in 2011, Netflix began its era of streaming dominance and the company didn't pivot, making it a dinosaur that faded into obscurity rather quickly. Several stores hung on for dear life for a number of years, but the last three remaining stores in Alaska closed in 2019, leaving only the one in Oregon to remember this bygone era.
Nostalgia for the chain has come back around in recent years. Netflix released a series titled "Blockbuster" that ended up lasting just one season. But the fact that it was produced in the first place signifies that people feel some kind of way about the days of video rental stores. Dish may be ready to seize on that opportunity. Stay tuned.