The Rise And Fall Of Blockbuster

Once valued as a $3 billion company, Blockbuster owned over 9,000 video-rental stores in the United States. But in 2010, after turning down the chance to buy Netflix, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy with almost $1 billion in debt. So, what happened?
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#Blockbuster #Movies #BusinessInsider
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The Rise And Fall Of Blockbuster

[@BusinessInsider]

How has Blockbuster Video survived against the odds so long in Alaska, and what will its decline mean? Find out on our latest episode of Brought to you by... apple.co/30yoxBn

[@FBIagentObama]

A

[@siren_serene185]

Hi

[@SalivatingSteve]

Is it in Alaska or Oregon?

[@cafezo87934]

because it's alaska???

[@Stretch501st]

Some parts of Alaska still don’t have any internet access, so can’t use Netflix or any streaming service, so it’s the last place blockbuster can exist.

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

The story of Blockbuster laughing at buying Netflix for just $50 million needs to be made into a Netflix movie.

[@AlexYorim]

Give the Streaming Wars today, let's not hope that Disney+ makes one first.

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

Alex Yorim “Steaming”?

[@AlexYorim]

@@TheRealCaptainFreedom typo. It's "Streaming Wars"

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

Alex Yorim Steaming pile of 💩 tho lol

[@bobbysworldrox]

Or steve ballmer laughing at the new iPhone

[@vegetassidechick5076]

Blockbuster stores smell will forever be engrained in my memory.

[@RichardGarcia93]

Yes!!!! This!

[@adhamabousalem8063]

Why does she always sound like she’s reading off a script she’s hasnt read once

[@THEBIGGESTSCUMBAG]

FAX

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

They always did smell great didn't they? :)

[@jessica3218]

i remember going to a blockbuster with my parents after church. I was so excited! I’m glad I got to experience it!

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Basically Blockbuster failed to innovate and pivot.

[@campkira]

it a franchise business... like many... people taste change but they don't had a choice.... it like you selling hamburger and people stop eating burger....

[@KevinSmith-ks5zq]

Apple is headed that way

[@moderndayentertainment5812]

Kevin Smith Apple is a leader in innovation?

[@KevinSmith-ks5zq]

@@moderndayentertainment5812 innovating high prices maybe lol but everything else he'll naw

[@aaronmaruri]

@@KevinSmith-ks5zq exactly how is it that there latest iphone is the price of my macbook pro 😐

[@brianhutchinson6938]

I remember going in on a Friday or Saturday to rent movies and video games.

[@maattttt07]

I miss doing that!

[@maattttt07]

@The Fallen One Yes, Pre social media B.S

[@OGMillyMillz_]

Brian Hutchinson ok you’re not special. Therefore, no one cares.

[@OGMillyMillz_]

The Fallen One I have actually. So move tf on.

[@maattttt07]

@@OGMillyMillz_ Your a kook OG. No one cares what you say honestly

[@Realistic316]

i honestly miss physically going to Blockbuster and walking around to see what i’d want to choose....i’d still prefer doing that today, instead of just watching anything on my phone 😆

[@MarkMcMillen2112]

If you love that so much, why don't you go to a 2nd and Charles store and browse their used videos?

[@Realistic316]

@@MarkMcMillen2112 cuz it’s more about the point of it ya know?…and whatever store you just mentioned isn’t the same

[@armandotorres8962]

It's one of the things i like doing in Walmart. Me and friend scour which movie or shows we'll be getting.

[@breadcrumbhoarder]

I rented a movie right before my local blockbuster closed and we never had a chance to give it back so I ended up keeping it, it was aloha scooby doo lmao

[@vinyllpreviews9462]

They'll come back into business just to collect that late fee on you.

[@breadcrumbhoarder]

Vinyl LP Reviews my late fee would probably be enough to keep them out of bankruptcy for a couple more years honestly lmao

[@Cre8Lounge]

Aloha is most appropriate.

[@Gransonec]

The weird thing is that you can still have a Blockbuster night. There's a southeastern US store chain called Dirt Cheap that gets in shipments of used Blockbuster DVD's all the time. They have a table of them right now, priced at 20 for $1. Yep, that's $0.05 each!

[@Gransonec]

@Steve Pringle Well, they did have signs up saying that they were moving. They just didn't say that they were moving into oblivion.

[@NeptuneRising70]

Every Saturday morning, my mom and I would go rent 3-5 movies and just binge them all day Sunday. It was such a big deal when DVDs came out!

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

My friend & I would get 2 Blockbuster DVDs 💿. A action or drama film, sci fi & a comedy. 2000 to 2004 or so... fun!

[@haihai9022]

I remember in the school holidays, my mum would take me and my sisters to Blockbuster to rent movies for a week. When we all heard it was shutting down, they allowed us to take some of the movies

[@RedRoseSeptember22]

Kids today will never know the satisfaction of browsing through a video rental store :( I used to love going to Blockbuster as a kid, my sister and I would go down each row and talk about the movies we wanted to see and pick some to rent for the night. It was always fun, not to mention it was even better when parents allowed us to pick whatever candy we wanted to take home, and let's not forget the gumball machines!!!

[@CstWstFllwer]

someday they gonna call us old for telling a story like that. any1 born after like 1992 has no idea about these things

[@ccricers]

Someone should make a VR Blockbuster, and connect it to streaming services. You'll be able walk around the store, hold the boxes in your hands, then check the movies out to watch them.

[@darthnacho3398]

When they tore down my local blockbuster, my dad ran over and got their movie return drop-box out of the trash and we used it as our mailbox

[@jasonbored8319]

Is it for sale? I'll buy it

[@rescueninja4728]

This is what happens when you have “old fashioned - traditional” leaders who have no innovation and REFUSED to change.

[@CollyDoo]

Hmmm, same with Research in Motion (Blackberry) or any other large corporation that doesn't want to innovate for the future

[@ameyashetty1441]

AyV Uy apple

[@NikkiRowCoxx]

AyV Uy yep, Biden would know that.

[@dujo2187]

Or you just have stupid population that can't be content with alvailable but just wants more and new

[@Feliciatanktop]

Dujo 0 that’s called innovation buddy

[@davinp]

Blockbuster was so focused on their physical stores, that they fell behind in technology and the internet.

[@solarlola5953]

That’s what the video said

[@davinp]

@David Mander yes and also causing shopping malls to die. With online shopping, America has changed their shopping habits and don't need to go to physical stores for certain items.

[@miashaee]

Millennials didn't grow up with CDs and DVDs? I'm a 36 year old millennial, so yeah......I did. -_-

[@DeadlyDeadlyBeees]

I'm 29 and I did. Still have a bunch lol

[@mvry6573]

Lol we def had CDs and DVDs... even VHS for a bit 😂 where did they get that from?

[@RealBrittanyMiller7]

Im 20 and i did! But im a gen z

[@eddiew2325]

@@RealBrittanyMiller7 no offense but i wanna take u out on a date

[@louisratatoulielinson]

Im 15 qand i did grow up with CDs and DVDs lmao still have the Movie Barney in a Dvd

[@uthmanbaksh3530]

I find it super annoying when experts refer to the Gen Z crowd as Millenials. Millenials remember a time without the internet. Gen Z does not.

[@lilmane1070]

I swear, the year will be 2150 and the senile old folk will *still* be calling their 45-year-old children “millennials”

[@TheBlackDorothyZbornak]

Millenial here--I definitely dont remember a time without the internet and I'm 32. Social media sure but AOL was a huge deal

[@anthonycarney3128]

@@TheBlackDorothyZbornak yea and no. 'Millenials' has a long span. I'm a Xennial, on the cusp of the two gens and I was probably around twelve when the internet became a thing in homes as opposed to an expensive gimmick only Hollywood and silicon valley were using. We are unique in that we can remember, even romanticize, a pre-digital time but we were also early and voracious adopters of new tech like Internet, iPods, streaming, etc. The world changed a whole lot in a real short space of time. Whether you think thats a good or a bad thing is up to you.

[@TheBlackDorothyZbornak]

@@anthonycarney3128 Milennials are from mid to late 80s to mid to late 90s. The internet was invented in 1983, by the time it was in households it was the early 90s. Since 1st grade my schools had MAC computers teaching us about the internet, so no, milennials were raised on internet

[@rufiredup90]

More like millennials remember a time when the internet was in its infancy.

[@NicholasKaighen]

The fact of the video is that Blockbuster passed up a deal with Netflix in favor of a partnership with Enron, and thats just funny.

[@apscoinscurrenciesmore7599]

Just like when Yahoo passed up the opportunity to buy Google 😀😀

[@Shottamanrambo]

i actually had to look up what Enron was lol

[@fightttttt]

the problem is they didnt make a good streaming service not buying netflix. they had the capital to make a good streaming and get it out way more then netflix did

[@meltedicecreamsandwich]

@@Shottamanrambo You never heard of the Enron Scandal?

[@philingrouille7198]

I miss the Friday nights when me and my folks would go from School to Blockbuster and get 3 new movies and popcorn and drinks and just spend the night enjoying it together.

[@wiiiz3]

I hated the fact that some games & movies would always be rented so u would have to wait weeks even months

[@JacksonWelch]

Blockbuster: We're making so much money! Netflix: I'm about to end this mans career

[@CaseyBurnsInvesting]

Jackson Welch Baby Yoda: I’m bout to end this mans whole career

[@campkira]

welll ended... netflix used to offer to blackbuster... they just don't bite... back then internet is very slow...

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Blockbuster & the execs should have been smarter. Web, cell phones 📱, etc was fast paced.

[@abhishekpatra7954]

what is Netflix?? I know Blockbuster is a place to buy CD DVD's.

[@JustADioWhosAHeroForFun]

I'm not even American, I still feel sad tho

[@santinx6185]

Sad, why? Their business model was based on fining the client, is a good lesson that failed

[@nostalgicuniverse9747]

Blockbuster is the definition of sadness and depression

[@campkira]

i used to go to them when i was a kid all the time.... good thing we had internet high speed now... i can why they won't last....

[@TNUni167]

@just a dio What does the Dio part in your name mean?

[@riripanini]

They weren’t just in America bruh.

[@Shifty20]

I used to love going to Blockbuster as a kid. I worked at one while going to college and met some great people and very angry customers. I remember asking my manager back in like 06-07 that my roommate got a Netflix account. He would be receiving dvds by mail and what he thought about that. He said that was a stupid idea. What if they lose it in the mail he said. He also said that the idea of going out to a physical store would never go away. I miss them days sometimes.

[@RSHekscher]

That’s what Jeff Bezos always preaches: “Lean towards the future, not away from it. The future will always win eventually”.

[@fabrizio483]

They had a good run. Nothing lasts forever.

[@miselabram3711]

I miss Blockbuster so damn much. It’s such a comforting space.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

7:35 Um Milennial here, we grew up with DVDs and CDs thank you very much. You might be referring to Gen Z, which is a different generation altogether but some people like to lump in with millenials for some reason (people who have not bothered doing any basic research).

[@haihai9022]

I'm a Gen Z (Born 2003) and I will always remember getting the live action Scooby doo movies. Such simpler times

[@zooweemama_3978]

Gen z(2007) here, and I grew up with dvds and cds...

[@willotter4503]

* Kayleigh * r u sure, it shut down in the us in 2010, by which time you’d have been 3 and in 2013 it shut down on the uk, by which time you’d have been 6, neither of which justify you stating that you grew up with them.

[@zooweemama_3978]

Will Otter we just went to Asda and bought them lol I don’t remember anything about blockbuster

[@CloudStrife-rw8bj]

I'm a Gen Z ( 2005 ) and I grew up on DVD too, and man, walking into a Block Buster with my now deceased dad was awesome, we'd always get superhero movies to watch, and when mom came along with my little brother, we'd get chick flicks.

[@albear972]

We left blockbuster back in 2005 and never looked back. Screw Blockbuster and their exorbitant prices. That's when we got into Netflix and are still customers of them. Blockbuster got under our skin by charging $20+ in late fees returning 3 DVD's a few minutes late. That's when we dumped them. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Customers have memories of which companies are good and which aren't.

[@Scarsofevil]

WTF 20 dollars in 2005 money... I remember Netflix doesn't really have a fee or it's soo low because it's easy and cheap to make copies of DVD's

[@ti4383]

albear972 technically your paying more for Netflix because you have to pay another 50$ for internet just to run Netflix...

[@Scarsofevil]

Jake Pajor well we’re not paying for internet for the sake of only watching videos. We’re doing a lot of other stuff with it too. And that 20+ one time fee can cover a good amount of a one month internet bill smart ass

[@juliusmonroe7119]

Other thing to its blockbuster would put late fees on your credit report. I was done with them after that.

[@Scarsofevil]

@@juliusmonroe7119 At that point I would've just bought my own tapes or DVD

[@LakeHowellDigitalVideo]

The next episode: The Rise and Fall of GameStop.

[@samc.7323]

Mister G I totally agree... There are a bunch of crooks! Kind of like Boss Hogg from Dukes of Hazzard!!!

[@Feliciatanktop]

I’m convinced the owner is Mr. Krabs

[@Noah-hx9oi]

I can summarise that: The younger generation don't want to walk to the shop to get a game. That's why Sony are making a cheaper PS5 with no disk drive. Doesn't help that it's cheaper because parents will obviously get their children the cheaper option.

[@rmfinance1781]

Visit company man's channel. He already produced videos like this.

[@yozza4978]

Gamestops going nowhere yet...there stock prices are booming right now and apparently they are about to make a ton of changes to their business model and how they operate.

[@ZachHale8]

Being an ex-employee in 2006, the issue I saw was that I worked at a franchise and then we had a corporate store 20 minutes away. We still had late fees because I guess franchises could do that, but then everyone saw the "no late fees" commercials. So then when people got late fees of $50+ they were confused as hell. They didn't give a shit that we were franchise vs corporate and it probably helped make the brand decline.

[@kaidenhall3223]

Kids these days will never understand the struggle

[@Omar-em7rl]

Ok Boomer.

[@Omar-em7rl]

@ takes one to know one.

[@russiankfc2533]

Worst Alex Jones memer in the histories of history ok pooper

[@anthonymontoya9237]

The struggle of?

[@Feliciatanktop]

... what struggle? Lol

[@antibishonen]

Business Insider left one key part of the discussion: The CEO shakeup. After a boardroom shakeup with Carl Icahn (yes, that Carl Icahn) replacing John Antioco with Jim Keyes, Blockbuster reshuffled their business strategy. Instead of trying to directly compete the ongoing Netflix competition, Jim decided to make Blockbuster a convenience retailer. After all, he used to run 7-11. With this questionable strategy, along with the inability to restructure their debt due to the recession and numerous bad bets including their bet on Circuit City, Blockbuster folded by 2010.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Their online rental.division got Netflix by the balls but their idiot CEO pulled the plug to focus on stores.

[@gushernandez25]

Carl seems to be a very powerful force in the stockmarket.

[@antibishonen]

@@gushernandez25 Stupid and greedy as well. He could have sold his stake at Trump Plaza a long time ago, but didn't because, I'm not kidding, 20 million wasn't enough.

[@mjbgames4963]

Blockbuster Eras 1985-1996: The Golden Era 1997-2004: The Silver Era 2005-2012: The Dark Era 2013-present: The End

[@chillbane9074]

Ahh..I missed going into a Video store and spending 30mins picking a movie....so many memories.

[@samararosenblatt6027]

UGH MY CHILDHOOD 😭😭😭😭

[@jordanwhitfield831]

Sam Rose fr

[@coffeelink943]

Sam Rose If there was another BlockBuster near my area I would go. I still have my 360 and I’ll rent the shit out of it

[@littarizkiardiningrum1258]

i didn’t know netflix was a dvd rental

[@free2saywhatever]

Litta Rizki Ardiningrum I was one of the first ones to actually hop on that Netflix trend. At first they only had DVD by mail service but what really set them apart was customer service. Lost dvds? No problem. Customer service believed you unlike blockbuster that was too busy charging late fees. After that, I swore I would never get rid of Netflix and have it to this day. This was back in around 2006 I believe when they first launched Netflix and it was just dvd by mail service. Oh and they’ve had that first month free model since way back then!

[@IamAlecya]

They still are...

[@cedrickburns8097]

I remember them days n commercials we was watching two giants Blockbuster and Netflix going head-to-head

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

😦 ...Damn. I am now old enough to have encountered youngsters that do not remember NetFlix used to offer physical media.

[@mcied1]

@@marlonmoncrieffe0728 I hear ya haha. I'm going to be 28 in September. I can still remember watching movies my grandma rented from Netflix when I was a kid.

[@TMoody]

If you ever have walked through the doors of a Blockbuster..... you have lived a good life.

[@dharr6628]

failure to innovate, that is the same thing that happened to K-Mart and is happening to Sears

[@anthonymontoya9237]

Happened

[@melissa-annefrigon7973]

Wait... Sears still exist in the USA?! Shiiit! I live in Canada and i worked at one of the stores in Montreal before it closed in January 2018... your comment kinda made me feel nostalgic!

[@Cre8Lounge]

@@melissa-annefrigon7973 Both are online stores

[@Cre8Lounge]

Both are online

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

Sears Mexico still exists, however they disaffiliated themselves with Sears Holdings U.S. and are now a division of Mexican company Grupo Carso. They even changed the color of their SEARS wordmark from royal blue to red...

[@SlipySquid]

Why does she always sound like she’s reading off a script she’s hasnt read once

[@lukejones4245]

Alec nolastname he’s still more dynamic than she is, but I get where you’re going

[@Pataganja]

Exactly!! They chose the worst narrator her voice is awful

[@বদমাইশব্যাটা]

Lmao true😂😂

[@Alice-od3bw]

thought it was just me

[@RossCampoli]

Blockbuster management must REGRET passing their opportunity to acquire Netflix 😬

[@xxnike0629xx]

Funny. I actually worked at one for just a summer back when I was in high school. Good times. Too bad the company is gone.

[@MegaSureewan]

Not sure how you came to the conclusion that the last Blockbuster rental was in 2013... we had the second last BV store in Morley, Perth, Australia which closed in March 2019 and I believe there is one more store in the US left after that.

[@EatBeansLiveLife]

Sureewan there’s still one in Bend, Oregon

[@itrthho]

Yes, The last corporate Blockbuster survived until just into Jan 2014. There were 51 franchise locations left in the USA in 2014.

[@mikethemechanic7395]

They were awesome in the late 90s and early 00s. I used to rent video games all of the time. Anyone remember when you had to wait 6 months for a new movie to hit Blockbuster? In the 90s it was 1 year!

[@Dankman9]

There's still a Blockbuster in Bend Oregon.

[@DeadlyDeadlyBeees]

Do they have a Funcoland?

[@gushernandez25]

I wonder if they carry VHS type movids

[@Dankman9]

@@gushernandez25 pretty sure they do.

[@memyself1176]

How about now? December 7th 2020

[@Dankman9]

@@memyself1176 It's still there if that's what you're asking.

[@alexdevlin2429]

I’d gladly go back to a time where Netflix didn’t exist and Blockbuster was still at the top.

[@Guyatwo-m]

Ohh yes

[@MarkMcMillen2112]

Sure, and I would gladly get rid of my automobiles and buy a horse and buggy. DA.

[@alexdevlin2429]

@@MarkMcMillen2112 You could easily live without Netflix, many Netflix originals are available on DVD which is the same for Disney+ and Amazon Prime

[@mclovinlife4018]

@@AquarianThoth agreed. I do know people that love collecting the physical copies of movies, but for me, it just makes zero sense

[@TampaAries]

Blockbuster will always be our first love. We'll never forget you blockbuster.

[@truthteller4442]

I remember when they got into music, and had a selection of INSANELY overpriced CD's. $20.99 for ONE CD, back in 1998!? You out cho' got damn minds! The same CD's were usually at BestBuy or Target, on sale, for $12.99-$14.99. At max, it was $17.99 full price. Talk about price-gouging.

[@radianzero]

Block Buster: *Having good sales* Netflix: _"Peace was never an option"_

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Which is ironic because Blockbuster online rental was about to kill Netflix (Reed Hastings was about to fold and sell as they were short on cash) before a new idiot CEO came in and killed the online division due to protest by their stores.

[@lovatojonasfan1]

Kids of today’s generation will never know the frustration of having to rewind a movie to watch it again

[@tonyp9313]

Did they charge late fees if you didn't rewind a vhs tape?

[@growingup15]

@@tonyp9313 They would charge you if you didnt rewind the movie. also it was just common courtesy

[@TheBlackDorothyZbornak]

Funny thing is that we still say 'Blockbuster' when a movie is a hit LOL

[@tvdan1043]

The term "Blockbuster" for a hit movie is far older than the video store chain. They named the store after the Hollywood term.

[@ScreamingSkull13]

Man I sure miss that store,it was going out of business just as I had graduated high school,visiting the store one last time at that age,I wasn’t just saying goodbye to a once mighty store,i was saying goodbye to my childhood.

[@vannshuttleworth4738]

I worked at Blockbuster. When i knew it was the end was when the District Manager called a staff meeting to express their feelings about not winning first prize in our area. What was First Prize? A DVD player.

[@Lost69Minds]

I am surprised it wasn't a VHS tape rewinder! ha hahaha

[@Dante19883]

What made my childhood boils down to 4 things: comic books, Star Wars, Nintendo and Blockbuster

[@rfart419]

Yeah. Blockbuster is our childhood. I miss that place so much. :(

[@Riz2336]

Blockbuster is so classic, I'm glad I got to experience it in my lifetime so much for the kids these days

[@djwalkerfemaledj]

Netflix ‘s been around since 1997😦

[@kyle35_36]

Now blockbuster over here looking at Netflix in 2022 like “yea sucks to suck don’t it?”

[@erinrutten2491]

Yeah but who here remembers BLOCKBLISTER?!?! Not the movies they were asking for but the movies they needed! 😂

[@sarahb4401]

Erin Rutten I miss looking through all the shelves and finding the most random movies 😅

[@gilbertmillers4865]

Erin Rutten I remember the store very much and I miss it

[@plapin3538]

Blockblister BETTER. MUCH BETTER.

[@DeadlyDeadlyBeees]

Waaat never thought I'd hear THAT reference in my life XD

[@livk06]

This reminds me of Extravision, which was basically the Blockbuster of my area. The store closed down about 5 years ago and I still miss it.

[@mikec912]

Wow..I totally forgot Netflix used to be by mail.

[@tvdan1043]

It still is for some. By far smaller than it used to be but they still offer the DVD option.

[@DeadlyDeadlyBeees]

I went to my hometown's Blockbuster in the final days before they closed for good. You know those plastic backer cards with the movie cover printed on them? Well they had HUNDREDS of those left and they were selling them 20 for $5 or something. The workers ended up giving me and my friend about 100 for $5 since they had so many left and were just trying to get rid of them. I still have the cards, I made a movie mural on my wall with them at one point.

[@ColbertAwesome]

I'll never forget those memories going to blockbuster every weekend as a kid my parents rented me movies Wii and DS games

[@Badmunky64]

I still remember getting my mom to rent Battle Tanks Global Assault on the N64 4-5 times in a row for me as a kid

[@maattttt07]

I remember renting game on the original Nintendo

[@Digitalhdwmn]

The fresh smell of of Video games and movies. ♥️

[@garyfifield5858]

Feb up with not having a block buster please come back on line and let order copies in dvd format

[@bgcreations1]

Blockbuster: "Be kind and rewind"

[@darlingmoon003]

Blockbuster was pricey. It never succeeded in my area because of our local the library. Same movies could be borrowed for free. Late fees were removed by reading for half hour.

[@1rockcrawford]

Blockbuster's "No More Late Fees" campaign was also a scam. They simply extended the amount of time they would go without charging you by a week, and reduced the fees leading up to a month, at which point they would surge significantly. That was the final straw for a lot of people on the loyalty fence.

[@boredstudent]

I loved Blockbuster Video as a kid. I remember going with my mom or someone else to pick a game while they rented a movie on VHS. I was still gaming even as a child. In my teen years I would go to Blockbuster whenever I could to rent a game for the weekend. One time during a summer vacation, my mom got me a Blockbuster membership card and even got me a games freedom pass. I could rent games for 30 days. Every day I would ride my bike to one of my local stores to pick a game and return it the next day to rent another one. Since I had more than one console, I could get a GameCube game one day, a PS2 game the next, and a game for the original Xbox. A lot of my childhood memories were me behind a TV with a controller in my hand. And Blockbuster Video.

[@fuhgetabatit1051]

Holy moly I freaking remember that Netflix commercial!!!!!!

[@alysssalyn]

Before Redbox and before Netflix there was Family Video in our area. Blockbuster muscled out a lot of their customers by requiring a social security number on their "application" to open an account. Family Video only required your phone number... obviously the better choice.

[@katie.designs0]

It’s GenZ that grew up without the physical copies (mostly). Millennials grew up with Blockbuster and physical copies. It’s annoying when people regularly mix up the generations...

[@Johnnyusman0]

I can remember if I was taking to long to pick a movie , I’d bust to go toilet. It was really hard to pick a movie 😂 memories

[@davidwalker5054]

The last time I was in Blockbusters I went to get Batman Forever. but the guy behind the counter said I had to bring it back in 2 days

[@zombae_art]

I legit remember watching both Blockbuster commercials in the early 2000z and starting seeing Netflix commercials back when you rented videos from them

[@jennifertran70462]

Rip to my childhood memories I rember taking my roller blades to the blockbuster down the street from 1999-2002 and I rember the owner of the blockbuster gave us free VHS videos because they were going out of business in 2007😭😍♥️💁🏻

[@nope2075]

Uh... millenial here, 1992, we did grow up with DVDs and CDs. When I was in elementary and middle school, I had VHS still.

[@growingup15]

Exactly. Born 1991 here. I think they meant Gen Z because they are the ones who grew up with that stuff. and Millenials go back as far as 1981. so theres plenty of us who grew up with DVDs CDs hell in my house hold we didnt stop renting VHS tapes from Blockbuster and Hollywood Videos until 2009. I was just turning 17 in 2009

[@teruphoto]

I still have my membership card. It's a great fit and weight to act as a hotel keycard for keeping the room power on when I go out (e.g for recharging my stuff while I have breakfast downstairs)

[@MetalRocksMe.]

I’m a millennial and when I was a kid the internet was expensive and scarce so I watched vhs videos a lot and listened to CDs a lot. I still remember all the frequent blockbuster advert on the telly. Got the generations mixed up there! Millennials are all full adults now...

[@mayanochez5490]

I can't wait to tell my son that his uncle worked at a blockbuster and then proceed to explain to him what that is haha! I have some wonderfully fond memories, especially because my brother worked there, it was his first job ever and he loved it. I was sick once and he brought me finding Nemo DVD and a little Nemo toy. Going there with my aunt to have a sleepover at her house, ahhh I miss those days

[@Gordo_bobo]

Blockbuster: we are famous Internet: im about to end this man whole career

[@shamrock141]

Too long, didn't watch? Netflix happened

[@xXClassicUserXx]

Netflix was happening when block buster was around they were just smart enough to adap later on to a streaming service

[@campkira]

we all know... but the true is it more conflict of interst since same people who invest in netflix also had a stake in blockbuster... so they decide to let it died ... same with toy r us...

[@Name-ev8pr]

Anyone remember "Make it a blockbuster night"

[@Squishmallows24]

Going to blockbuster or Hollywood video on a Friday night as a kid was the best feeling.

[@randomfornow]

you guys in the comment section making me so melancholic over this era I didn't have...oh boy

[@JordanMarsh1]

FML a Netflix advertisement followed up after the video ended 😭

[@danbruno5945]

Blockbuster was the physical version of netflix back in 90s lol

[@noahbowie5985]

I grew up in a small town in the UK. At the bottom of my street there were some shops and as I grew up Blockbuster was one of them. By the time I turned 12 in 2010, it had turned into a Costa Coffee Shop.

[@alexs3887]

Blockbuster’s decline was greatly exaggerated…

[@mdavidson5883]

Going to a video store for 30 plus minutes to pick something out was part of "doing something" on a Friday night. Now we sit in our chairs browsing for 30 mins being lazy at home.

[@drunkensamurai3172]

Man I miss the video shop

[@lunaamore2713]

I miss the Blockbuster stores. There was more video options in Blockbuster than there are on Netflix

[@jadenyuki3138]

I still got some spiderman vhs and snow white from Block Buster that i havent return to this day, they mine now. LOL

[@slayerfan2]

The Florida Panthers NHL team was originally gonna be called the Florida Blockbusters with a 3rd jersey that looks like the front of a Blockbuster because the original owner owned a Blockbuster franchise

[@c.w.8200]

I'm a millennial and used DVDs and CDs for a large part of my life but it's so easy to adapt when you're relatively young. It seems completely natural now to stream everything but my parents can't wrap their heads around it 🙄

[@fredhunt2148]

Her voice cadence matches her body movements, and now I can't unsee it.

[@TheAaronmcmahon11]

Blockbuster was my very first job when I was in high school. It was at it's peak at the time. We stayed open until midnight and 1am on weekends. I loved that job and so grateful to not work fast food. Worked my way up to manager before leaving

[@kikiinthegarden]

There are times i miss Blockbuster. Those Friday night movies were the best time!!

[@freespiritdamsel]

I still want to rent old films that usually hard to find

[@aaronoutdoors7556]

There is actually only one thing that killed Blockbuster and that was eliminating late fees at a time when they needed the revenue the most.

[@won6809]

Blockbuster simply shot itself in the heart.

[@johnyoungs3174]

Nostalgia! Loved seeing all of those Titanic VHS tapes 😂

[@stratosphere94]

Um... I’m a millennial and I grew up with VHS, DVDs, CDs. Very much hard copy media. Don’t know what you’re on about around the @7:25 mark there mate.

[@RealisticLevel]

Found a DVD we didnt return to Blockbuster and thought the late fee would be in the hundreds and then they closed down 😅

[@grizzlednerd4521]

Huizenga selling for $8B two years before the collapse began, after buying in for a share of $18.5M investment, seems like a stroke of genius.

[@cfooddinner]

While I'm watching this, Netflix ads went in the middle