Blockbuster Can't Get A Break: 28 Day Advantage over Netflix Takes a Hit
As much as I still resent Blockbuster Video for using predatory pricing to put every local video store that I loved out of business, their ordeal is just getting sad. For their first advertising campaign since 2007, the currently bankrupt company ignored our suggestions and instead opted to brag about getting new releases 28 days before Netflix and Redbox. Now NCR, which operates Blockbuster's kiosks nationwide, has shot that selling point down by making a deal with Warner Brothers that requires Blockbuster to wait the same 28 days. Ouch.
Blockbuster will still get movies from some studios earlier (about half of the market share), and will still get Warner Brothers films earlier in their stores. That said, it's actually an advantage that they touted for months before their bankruptcy, so it seems like it may be time to try a marketing strategy or uh, maybe a new business model. Apparently, they are paying huge premiums for these 28 days, which is a large part of why NCR is making this deal. In any case, if ads like these even keep running, expect a lot more fine print at the end.
As of now the company is still reorganizing to get out of bankruptcy with their sites set on Spring 2011. Good luck, guys.
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Comments
Blockbuster it still on the ropes taking a pounding.
two companies (HV & BB) practice rather strange and unproductive employee strategies..ie undercompensation and over tasking middle management , impossible scheduling without allowances for manhours, time wasted putting out fires in stead of proactive promotion of business and good customer relations...not sad to see them go...the mentality of using people and discarding them like toliet paper...no i wont miss them....i say flush them out our memories .....
First off it's only the Kiosks that have to wait 28 days and not the brick & mortar stores. Secondly, NCR doesn't "operate" the kiosks for Blockbuster, they license the name from Blockbuster. Blockbuster has nothing to do with the kiosks. Get the facts before you publish
NCR owns and opearates all Blockbuster machines. They only pay to use the Blockbuster name.
great jim, they need to get their facts right
I commend Warner Bros. for seeing what a dead weight Blockbuster is. Blockbuster is such a lost cause it is a wonder why all movie studios do not abandon Blockbuster.