Are you one of those poor souls still holding onto your lifetime membership to the Blockbuster Video Club? Is your idea of a perfect Friday night consist of strolling through the “New Releases” isle hoping for the movie cover that jumps out screaming “RENT ME, RENT ME”? Well….. you’re screwed.
Dish Networks (who bought Blockbuster Video) just announced:
DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its subsidiary, Blockbuster L.L.C., will end its retail and by mail DVD distribution operations by early-January 2014. The company will close its approximately 300 remaining U.S.-based retail stores, as well as its distribution centers.
Which is corporate lingo for “We’re closing all of our stores… except for those yahoos that are franchise owners and still operating. Those guys are just crazy!”.
In case you were looking for a silver lining… this also means they are discontinuing their DVD-by-mail service too. You CAN still subscribe to the online streaming service blockbusternow.com, were you rent new/current movies at $2.99 online and have it streamed to your computer, tablet, etc. Yes, I just said $2.99. cough*RedBoxIsCheaper*cough
If you want to read the entire press release you can grab it HERE.
The long and the short of it… I do believe this is the official demise of Blockbuster Video. RIP Blockbuster. We’ll always have those fond memories of me being inside you… wandering around… looking for something magical.
