Over the past decade, competition from mail-order supplier Netflix and automated Redbox facilities put the pressure on Blockbuster, forcing the video rental giant to file for bankruptcy protection in 2010. In 2011, the company and its remaining outlets were purchased by satellite provider Dish Network, which kept the business on life support until 11 November 2013. The company announced that its final rental was, ironically, the comedy This Is the End, which was reportedly rented from a Blockbuster store in Hawaii.
However, that wasn't truly the end. As of 2015, about 50 Blockbuster locations (all franchises) remain open across the United States, for those who prefer renting movies the old-fashioned way .
A brief rewind of Blockbuster's history:
- The first Blockbuster store opened on 19 October 1985 in Dallas, Texas. Blockbuster quickly became successful, due in part to the company's ability to customize each store to fit the demographics of the local neighborhood.
- In 1987, the company won a court case against Nintendo, which allowed Blockbuster to offer video game rentals in its stores.
- In 2000, Blockbuster reportedly turned down a chance to purchase a fledgling movie rental company called Netflix for $50 million (USD). The rest, of course, is video history.