Blockbuster to Close Remaining Stores, End DVD-By-Mail Services

As the video store continues to become more and more a memory, movie rental chain Blockbuster announced today that it will now completely close down its remaining retail outlets. DISH, of which Blockbuster is a subsidiary, announced that it will be closing the 300 U.S. stores still open, as well as end the Blockbuster DVD-by-mail service started as a potential rival to Netflix’s offerings, by the end of the year.

“This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” said Joseph P. Clayton, DISH president and chief executive officer. “Despite our closing of the physical distribution elements of the business, we continue to see value in the Blockbuster brand, and we expect to leverage that brand as we continue to expand our digital offerings.”

DISH will focus on emphasizing the Blockbuster @Home service, which includes 15 movie and six entertainment channels as well as access to on demand titles, to its customers, as well as its transactional streaming video service, Blockbuster On Demand.

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