8 Ways Online Streaming Killed The Video Store
Feb 6, 2013, 02:14 IST
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The only thing we may have been more surprised by was that there were still so many Blockbusters open across the country.
"South Park" did an episode recently on the very topic.
One of the protagonists' father (Stan) purchases a Blockbuster thinking it's a great idea to invest all of the family's savings. But in the end, it turns up a bust.
Why?
Simple – the rise of streaming content and Internet viewing consumption in the past few years.
Back in September 2010, Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because it wasn't able to transition to online content like Netflix and Hulu.
Slowly, the franchise's more than 7,000 worldwide video stores began shutting down over the course of the past two years.
In many instances, a replacement came in the form of Coinstar's Redbox locations popping up conveniently inside (and outside) of supermarkets, Wal-Marts, and 7/11s.
And, of course, there were Netflix accounts there to keep consumers satiated from the comforts of their couches.
As the DVD King began closing shop, those online streaming services began rising in subscribers. Add in the ease of access to video-on-demand from cable providers and there was never a reason to leave the couch on a Friday night to wander down the aisles of a Blockbuster or its former competitor Hollywood Video.
Since DISH acquired Blockbuster's assets – and 1,700 stores – for $320 million in 2011, there hasn't been a sweeping change in content delivery to customers.
DISH did launch a streaming site initially thought to be a Netflix killer called Blockbuster Movie Pass. The site also shipped out DVDs and video games by mail and offered streaming video. However, the service was abandoned after a year when it failed to compete with Netflix.
Instead, the continued presence of the antiquated video store in comparison to Netflix, Hulu, or video-on-demand has made it so going anywhere outside one's living room is a major inconvenience to a consumer.