Blockbuster celebrates 'victory' over Netflix in recent social media posts
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In a nostalgic victory that has delighted fans worldwide, Blockbuster has emerged as the last store standing after Netflix officially shut down the last remnant of its original DVD mail rental service on September 29.
The news sparked celebration from legions of loyal customers, most of whom grew up renting VHS tapes and games from the iconic blue-and-yellow video rental stores that once dotted suburbs and towns.
Blockbuster responded to the closure of Netflix's DVD rental service with three social media posts, the first saying: 'Yes, Netflix. We're still watching.'
'Luckily, you'll still be able to find your favourite movies & shows on DVD at Blockbuster. 'Til the bitter end,' they wrote in the caption.
To understand the origin of the rivalry between Blockbuster and Netflix, we need to look back at their histories.
Blockbuster Video, initially a small rental shop established by David Cook in 1985, grew significantly during the 1990s. It expanded its services to include video game rentals, video-on-demand, and a DVD-by-mail system similar to what Netflix was offering.
By 2004, Blockbuster had a massive presence with over 9,000 stores and a workforce of more than 25,000 employees (and that's in the US alone!).
However, its fortunes began to decline. In 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy protection, primarily due to intense competition and the economic fallout from the Great Recession.
In 2011, Dish Network acquired Blockbuster, but the company-owned stores continued to struggle. Ultimately, by 2014, all the remaining Blockbuster stores had to close down, except for one location in Bend, Oregon.
Interestingly, this last surviving Blockbuster has garnered a significant following on Instagram, with over 80,000 followers. Meanwhile, Netflix boasts a massive 33 million followers on the same platform. Despite the odds stacked against it, the last Blockbuster standing in Bend, Oregon, refused to go down without a fight.
The 'rivalry' between Blockbuster and Netflix can be traced back to Blockbuster's missed opportunity in 2000 when it declined to purchase Netflix for a mere $50 million.
Today, Netflix is valued at a staggering $167 billion, highlighting this decision's profound impact on the fate of these two once-mighty entertainment giants.
The Blockbuster store in Morley, Western Australia, which was the last one in Australia, closed its doors in 2019 after a decade in operation.
Lyn Borszeky, the store's owner, has always known that such a day would come. Despite the attention they received for being the last Blockbuster in Australia, she knew it wasn't enough to sustain the business.
She acknowledged that technological changes, such as the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Stan, provided countless alternatives for watching movies and TV shows, which made it challenging for traditional video rental stores to survive.
Reflecting on the closure, Borszeky expressed a mix of emotions.
On the one hand, she felt proud of enduring for such a long time against formidable challenges. On the other hand, she felt sadness for the local community, as they would no longer have a place to rent DVDs.
'It's just the way that technology has changed,' she said.
Members, we'd like to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and ask: Do you remember the days of eagerly heading to a Blockbuster store, browsing the aisles for the perfect DVD to rent, and looking forward to a cosy movie night at home?
We're also curious to know if you have any cherished or amusing stories from your visits to Blockbuster. Did you ever have a funny encounter with a fellow movie enthusiast in the store? Perhaps you had a favourite movie you rented repeatedly, or maybe you even worked at a Blockbuster store and have some behind-the-scenes tales to share.
We'd love to hear from you and reminisce together about the golden era of movie rentals. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
The news sparked celebration from legions of loyal customers, most of whom grew up renting VHS tapes and games from the iconic blue-and-yellow video rental stores that once dotted suburbs and towns.
Blockbuster responded to the closure of Netflix's DVD rental service with three social media posts, the first saying: 'Yes, Netflix. We're still watching.'
'Luckily, you'll still be able to find your favourite movies & shows on DVD at Blockbuster. 'Til the bitter end,' they wrote in the caption.
Blockbuster has one store left in Oregon, and its slogan is: 'Til the bitter end.' Credit: Instagram/blockbusterbend.
To understand the origin of the rivalry between Blockbuster and Netflix, we need to look back at their histories.
Blockbuster Video, initially a small rental shop established by David Cook in 1985, grew significantly during the 1990s. It expanded its services to include video game rentals, video-on-demand, and a DVD-by-mail system similar to what Netflix was offering.
By 2004, Blockbuster had a massive presence with over 9,000 stores and a workforce of more than 25,000 employees (and that's in the US alone!).
However, its fortunes began to decline. In 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy protection, primarily due to intense competition and the economic fallout from the Great Recession.
In 2011, Dish Network acquired Blockbuster, but the company-owned stores continued to struggle. Ultimately, by 2014, all the remaining Blockbuster stores had to close down, except for one location in Bend, Oregon.
Interestingly, this last surviving Blockbuster has garnered a significant following on Instagram, with over 80,000 followers. Meanwhile, Netflix boasts a massive 33 million followers on the same platform. Despite the odds stacked against it, the last Blockbuster standing in Bend, Oregon, refused to go down without a fight.
The 'rivalry' between Blockbuster and Netflix can be traced back to Blockbuster's missed opportunity in 2000 when it declined to purchase Netflix for a mere $50 million.
Today, Netflix is valued at a staggering $167 billion, highlighting this decision's profound impact on the fate of these two once-mighty entertainment giants.
The Blockbuster store in Morley, Western Australia, which was the last one in Australia, closed its doors in 2019 after a decade in operation.
Lyn Borszeky, the store's owner, has always known that such a day would come. Despite the attention they received for being the last Blockbuster in Australia, she knew it wasn't enough to sustain the business.
She acknowledged that technological changes, such as the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Stan, provided countless alternatives for watching movies and TV shows, which made it challenging for traditional video rental stores to survive.
Reflecting on the closure, Borszeky expressed a mix of emotions.
On the one hand, she felt proud of enduring for such a long time against formidable challenges. On the other hand, she felt sadness for the local community, as they would no longer have a place to rent DVDs.
'It's just the way that technology has changed,' she said.
Members, we'd like to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and ask: Do you remember the days of eagerly heading to a Blockbuster store, browsing the aisles for the perfect DVD to rent, and looking forward to a cosy movie night at home?
We're also curious to know if you have any cherished or amusing stories from your visits to Blockbuster. Did you ever have a funny encounter with a fellow movie enthusiast in the store? Perhaps you had a favourite movie you rented repeatedly, or maybe you even worked at a Blockbuster store and have some behind-the-scenes tales to share.
We'd love to hear from you and reminisce together about the golden era of movie rentals. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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