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But Netflix mailed DVDs, blockbuster had ubiquitous storefronts of family owned franchises they’d be cannibalizing, I think they were pretty different
by repeekad 2y ago
But Netflix mailed DVDs, blockbuster had ubiquitous storefronts of family owned franchises they’d be cannibalizing, I think they were pretty different
- hluska 2y agoThis is all spitballing of course, but depending on when they released their streaming service, Blockbuster may not have had to close all their storefronts. Staffing would have changed and the business itself would have changed. But at the time, there was an opportunity for a trusted brand to help ease people into streaming. I purchased VHS tapes, DVDs and subscribed to streaming services within about a decade of each other. That was a big transition for me and I’m technical. With the right kind of revenue sharing, DVD only rentals and cross promotions between streaming and in person rentals/events, they could have had something really interesting. I’m old enough to have rented VHS tapes so this may be a function of my age more than actual opportunity, but I know several people who even now would be far more tempted to subscribe to a streaming service if they could do it in a store. Again, this is all theoretical, but Blockbuster had a lot of advantages back in the day. It wouldn’t be what it was, but the opportunities are fun to think through.
- _heimdall 2y agoSure, I wouldn't argue the businesses were identical, though I don't expect that the DVD rental Netflix looked anything like the streaming Netflix. Where Blockbuster would have moved from brick and mortar to streaming, Netflix would have been moving from mostly a logistics business with warehouses in the middle of nowhere to a streaming/tech business.