Blockbuster facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Successors | Sling TV Dish Movie Pack |
| Founder | David Cook |
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Number of locations
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1 remaining, Bend, Oregon, United States (privately owned, franchised) |
| Services | Home video rentals |
| Total assets | $37,000,000 (2010) |
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Number of employees
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84,300 (2004) 25,000 (2010) 3 (2019) |
| Parent | Dish Network |
Blockbuster was a well-known American company. It allowed people to rent movies on DVDs and VHS tapes. You could also rent video games there. Blockbuster started in 1985 and was a big part of how many families watched movies at home. At its busiest time in 2004, Blockbuster had over 8,000 stores and more than 84,000 employees.
Blockbuster's Journey
How It Began
Blockbuster was founded in 1985 by a person named David Cook. He was a technician. His idea was to create a place where people could easily rent movies.
Growing Big and Facing Challenges
In 1994, a large media company called Viacom bought Blockbuster. This helped Blockbuster grow even bigger. By 2004, Blockbuster was very popular.
However, new ways to watch movies started to appear. Companies like Netflix began offering DVD rentals by mail. To keep up, Blockbuster launched its own "Blockbuster By Mail" service in 2004. Later, they also started an online streaming service called "Blockbuster On Demand."
The Final Chapter
Even with new services, Blockbuster faced tough competition. On September 23, 2010, the company had to file for bankruptcy. This meant they were having serious financial problems.
In 2011, another company, Dish Network, bought Blockbuster and its remaining 1,700 stores. Dish Network tried to keep the stores open for a while. But in 2013, Dish Network closed all the company-owned Blockbuster stores.
After the stores closed, Blockbuster's online streaming service, "Blockbuster On Demand," was replaced by Sling TV in 2015. Today, almost all Blockbuster stores are gone. There is only one Blockbuster store left in the world. It is located in Bend, Oregon, and is still privately owned and operated.
