Map of the Rise and Fall of Blockbuster Video

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  • Опубліковано 18 чер 2020
  • Between 1985 and 2010, Blockbuster Video opened thousands of stores across the US. This map shows the locations of US Blockbuster Video stores over time.
    The store counts also include Alaska and Hawaii which aren't shown on the map.
    Sources: The per-state store numbers came from archive copies of Blockbuster Inc’s annual 10-K filings with the SEC between 1999 and 2011. The numbers outside of these years were collected from various business news articles with linear extrapolation for the dates in between. Archived 10-K filings are available here: www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-ed...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 690

  • @s.s.99
    @s.s.99 Місяць тому +1171

    “The Rise and Fall of Blockbuster” - A Netflix Original

  • @marcusvolkmar8818
    @marcusvolkmar8818 4 роки тому +1754

    the last one should stay forever as a museum

    • @roytl
      @roytl 3 роки тому +48

      There Is still one

    • @engineergaming3412
      @engineergaming3412 3 роки тому +80

      I believe it actually is

    • @Sumthin8323
      @Sumthin8323 3 роки тому +6

      Yes

    • @BFSarthur
      @BFSarthur 3 роки тому +75

      Yeah I live in bend where the last one is and can confirm it ain't going anywhere.

    • @mattyian1208
      @mattyian1208 3 роки тому +5

      @@mooseears9849 There are 151 likes now, do you like this comment now?

  • @certified_freak
    @certified_freak 4 роки тому +1100

    The last remaining Blockbuster was also the first Blockbuster in Oregon. Opened in 1988

    • @BloodyCaesar
      @BloodyCaesar 3 роки тому +34

      Thanks Dad, for making me notice.

    • @yngcini
      @yngcini 3 роки тому +44

      That is false, the first Blockbuster was opened in Dallas Texas. This one in Bend, Oregon has been open since 2004

    • @BloodyCaesar
      @BloodyCaesar 3 роки тому +117

      @@yngcini Read again. If you'd rather have the words put like that: he noticed that "The first to ever open in Oregon is also the last remaining one".

    • @Rhettroizms
      @Rhettroizms 3 роки тому +1

      @@BloodyCaesar is right, I dont remember going to Blockbuster but I did

    • @LazyPirate8
      @LazyPirate8 3 роки тому +1

      Ironic

  • @nicholascotton855
    @nicholascotton855 2 роки тому +636

    It looks like Blockbuster's decline began in January 2005. The highest number of stores they ever reached (in the Contiguous United States) was 5,734.

    • @conradodl
      @conradodl 2 роки тому +43

      And from that number it only went down. Never grew again.

    • @belkYT
      @belkYT 2 роки тому +17

      2005 was a curse

    • @deanhassan1753
      @deanhassan1753 Рік тому +48

      Yeah when the internet began improving. Many other stores began to go out of business and dvd sales began to drop as well.

    • @washuotaku
      @washuotaku Рік тому +50

      @@deanhassan1753 The internet was not there yet, but it was Netflix that help usher its demise thanks to its DVD-by-mail service.

    • @accuratebrickinnovations
      @accuratebrickinnovations 7 місяців тому +48

      UA-cam started cooking in 2005.

  • @mexidraw
    @mexidraw 25 днів тому +103

    5,734 Blockbuster stores in January 2005… at its peak…

    • @ralphvelthuis2359
      @ralphvelthuis2359 16 днів тому +2

      That was just in the US. They had about 10,000 total worldwide.

    • @mexidraw
      @mexidraw 16 днів тому

      @@ralphvelthuis2359 I still remember when in my beloved Mexico, Blockbuster had been replaced by The B Store, which also proved to be unsuccessful at the same style of store

    • @LoveHard-lm1se
      @LoveHard-lm1se 15 днів тому

      I rember I could not go too the porn side lol

    • @franksandoval6046
      @franksandoval6046 15 днів тому +1

      @@ralphvelthuis2359 I have question how the VHS 📼 was discontinued

    • @mexidraw
      @mexidraw 5 днів тому

      @@franksandoval6046 Blu-ray/DVD and then streaming

  • @bobsmoothie6445
    @bobsmoothie6445 19 днів тому +28

    For reference, there’s currently about 13,449 McDonalds in the US. And Blockbuster peaked at 5,734. So for every Blockbuster, there are 2 and a half McDonalds.

  • @Rooster2628
    @Rooster2628 29 днів тому +163

    If there was ever a store closing that makes me sad, it would be Blockbuster. There are so many memories with movies, games, and taking my son there each week.

  • @MustacheCashStash125
    @MustacheCashStash125 26 днів тому +145

    As a Gen Z kid, this makes me sad. I actually have been to the very last Blockbuster store before, it’s in Bend Oregon and they actually have merch about it there. Ironically, I think it being the last one is what’s keeping it open because it’s like a tourist attraction now

    • @theJonesy
      @theJonesy 22 дні тому +2

      I’m also Gen Z. I wish I could go there…

    • @Grassplant2012
      @Grassplant2012 21 день тому +4

      I wish I could go there but I live on the other side of the country

    • @theJonesy
      @theJonesy 21 день тому

      @@Grassplant2012 same…

    • @archieames1968
      @archieames1968 20 днів тому +11

      Don't be that sad. Blockbuster drove mom and pop stores out of business.

    • @theJonesy
      @theJonesy 20 днів тому +2

      @@archieames1968 heh.

  • @rangers94ism
    @rangers94ism 20 днів тому +29

    I hated it when Blockbuster closed. It wasn't just a store, it was an experience.

    • @european-one
      @european-one 3 дні тому

      It is kind of cool being able to pick stuff up, look at the box and make a roll of the dice in the absence of easily accessible internet reviews.
      I loved getting to choose a movie every Friday night as a kid.
      It's unfortunate they failed to adapt

    • @billbrasky8860
      @billbrasky8860 3 дні тому

      Were the excessive late fees part of the experience too?

  • @richardboutet797
    @richardboutet797 4 роки тому +241

    they missed the boat... They could've been the netflix of today.

    • @Enchurito
      @Enchurito 4 роки тому +77

      It's because they turned down buying Netflix for a couple million

    • @daveroy1066
      @daveroy1066 4 роки тому +22

      Ya, it was a "Kodak" moment. >.

    • @gerardorodruiguez5928
      @gerardorodruiguez5928 3 роки тому +8

      @@daveroy1066 hey kodak stock is actually tripling right now while the Government basically gave it a loan and re-purposed the company for making pharmaceuticals.

    • @braydongibbs2744
      @braydongibbs2744 3 роки тому +3

      Don’t worry I’m gonna start a petition to raise money to buy it from dish and make it good again

    • @rambot670
      @rambot670 3 роки тому +2

      @@Enchurito I think it was 50 mil

  • @willp.8120
    @willp.8120 Місяць тому +92

    Does anyone remember the ten or so small video rental stores for every Blockbuster store throughout the 80s and early 90s that Blockbuster ran out of business? Many of them lost everything on account of Blockbuster.

    • @chrism1102
      @chrism1102 26 днів тому +8

      I remember having a Blockbuster card but only going to a Blockbuster store a handful of times. I'm guessing I preferred watching movies in theaters? LOL. I really don't remember them being central to my life..

    • @CoreLabRat2
      @CoreLabRat2 24 дні тому

      West Coast Video

    • @willp.8120
      @willp.8120 24 дні тому +6

      @@CoreLabRat2 That sounds like a chain.
      In my town, we had small mom and pop video stores in the 80s and early 90s. Stores like:
      - Video Concepts 2000
      - Video Mania
      - Interstate Video
      - Whitt's Video
      - Video and Pizza on Wheels
      - Video Express
      And others.
      Blockbuster came in sometime around 1994 near my house, then around 1997-1999 a few other large, but smaller than Blockbuster chains opened like Hollywood Video.

    • @CoreLabRat2
      @CoreLabRat2 24 дні тому

      @@willp.8120 In the early 90's we used to go to West Coast Videos.. it was a super retro store lmao... memories yikes

    • @thesnoopmeistersnoops5167
      @thesnoopmeistersnoops5167 19 днів тому +2

      My town never had a Blockbuster. It had VHS 3 rental shops in the 90s, 2 of which were right next to each other. All closed now.
      One of them is now an independent games store that survives by doing card gaming such as Magic. He's been going over 20 years. It's a community hub for nerds.

  • @Flokiabob311
    @Flokiabob311 Місяць тому +41

    I was born in 1985 so I got to see and experience all of the 90’s from age 5-15. I am so grateful for those times

    • @DokisKalin1
      @DokisKalin1 21 день тому +3

      That sounds nice actually. I was born in 91 so I only vaguely remember the late 90s.

    • @bobsnow6242
      @bobsnow6242 21 день тому +6

      I was born in '85 too. Growing up in the 90s was wonderful but also bittersweet in retrospect because we really had the illusion of being a charmed generation born into a new golden age. The Cold War was over, the economy was booming, fascinating new technologies like the internet were becoming widespread, and America seemed invincible between the fall of the Soviet Union and 9/11. Then the other shoe dropped just as we were reaching adulthood and the world started going to shit.
      I feel bad for the younger generations because they never knew a time of genuine optimism and prosperity, but in a way they're better prepared for it psychologically because they've never known anything besides cynicism and pessimism. A lot of us older millennials are still deluded enough to think we'll fix the world once we take over from the boomers but it will be far too late by then.

    • @lizardmak780
      @lizardmak780 21 день тому +3

      ​​@@bobsnow6242 I was born in '02 and honestly I feel like most of my generation is either overly-cynical or overly-optimistic.
      That said, I never understood all this crap about fixing the world. The world's way too large and complex for one generation in one country to magically fix everything, especially without creating any new problems in the process. The best we can do is fix the problems we find ourselves able to, and hope our solutions don't end up creating any worse problems later on. That's just the way things are and always have been.

    • @yetanotherlancer
      @yetanotherlancer 8 днів тому +1

      @@bobsnow6242Same as you. It was intriguing, yet weird seeing the world turn digital. It’s nice and convenient but sometimes I miss the pre-retailpocolypse times when people went out into the world and their faces weren’t shoved into their phones on social media.

  • @jayfizzy8743
    @jayfizzy8743 4 роки тому +433

    Girls: Omg you didn’t cry during Titanic. Do you even have emotions.
    Boys:

    • @KTSMORI
      @KTSMORI 2 роки тому +20

      Ah yes I too expand into a multiple billion dollar movie rental company that depleted so fast that we didn’t notice it even happened until a year later

    • @smithys_exploration
      @smithys_exploration 2 роки тому +3

      I haven't seen the titanic movie, it may be sort of sad but this is sadder to me in a way.

    • @ThatGuyRNA
      @ThatGuyRNA 2 роки тому +3

      I feel no pain
      I have the last one in my state

    • @pap-fr
      @pap-fr 2 роки тому +2

      🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

    • @Goozyduxe64
      @Goozyduxe64 Місяць тому

      Yes

  • @dronepro7316
    @dronepro7316 Місяць тому +32

    Blockbuster was presented with the opportunity to buy Netflix for $60MM and turned it down. Netflix initially was not a streaming service. It was mailing DVDs back and forth.

    • @larissatom6910
      @larissatom6910 3 дні тому +1

      Yes, Blockbuster also had a dvd by mail program.

  • @alaskancabin7506
    @alaskancabin7506 3 роки тому +125

    Since alaska had 2 of the last 3 stores, It probably would've been cool to include us

    • @VideoReviewChris
      @VideoReviewChris 3 роки тому +15

      Ah, that makes more sense. I was trying to figure out how come it said there were 3 stores open in 2018, but there was only 1 icon on the map! But that's really cool how Alaska had 2 of the last stores :) Do you remember which cities the Blockbusters were in?

    • @alaskancabin7506
      @alaskancabin7506 3 роки тому +9

      @@VideoReviewChris there were 2 i remember in anchorage that both closed a few years ago.

    • @alaskancabin7506
      @alaskancabin7506 3 роки тому +18

      @Rick Volcano what did alaska do to you? we are an amazing state

    • @VideoReviewChris
      @VideoReviewChris 3 роки тому +4

      @@alaskancabin7506 Indeed! Alaska is beautiful. Lots of wildlife and amazing nature :)

    • @rolloxra670
      @rolloxra670 3 роки тому +2

      Also Hawaii

  • @idosounds
    @idosounds 2 роки тому +82

    Blockbuster peaked at 5,734 stores, if you were wondering.

    • @Finn_the_Cat
      @Finn_the_Cat Місяць тому +2

      In america yes they had more stores in other countries as well

    • @qman66
      @qman66 25 днів тому +2

      February 2005. Damn I was in HS

    • @madcatmk213
      @madcatmk213 22 дні тому

      in america

    • @prodcwn
      @prodcwn 14 днів тому

      Yep, right in January. Sad to see. lol

  • @rebelgaming1.5.14
    @rebelgaming1.5.14 2 роки тому +108

    I have visited the Bend, OR store as of this year. It's going strong and has a healthy number of loyal customers to keep it afloat for years to come. A 2020 Netflix Documentary called 'The Last Blockbuster' (kinda Ironic that Netflix is what made this thing so popular as a tourist destination, given they were once major rivals) has given rise to a major Tourist interest in the store. As of July 26th, 2021 the store is around and is going well.

    • @royrowland5763
      @royrowland5763 Рік тому +10

      Good for you. I've seen almost everything I have an interest in seeing in the US. The Bend Blockbuster is still on the bucket list.

    • @carlsaganlives4036
      @carlsaganlives4036 Місяць тому

      @@royrowland5763 Hope there's a hotel nearby, I'd like to spend a few days really immersing myself in all things Blockbuster, maybe arrange an after hours behind-the-scenes tour and meet n greet with the staff...cancelled my Caribbean getaway, can't wait!

    • @youzz33
      @youzz33 Місяць тому

      @@royrowland5763 I recommend it, I picked up a hat and every now and then I get complimented on my blockbuster hat.

  • @scaredsilly1331
    @scaredsilly1331 3 роки тому +74

    *Casually walks to my local blockbuster because I live in bend Oregon*

    • @acdcole
      @acdcole 3 роки тому +6

      same

    • @smithys_exploration
      @smithys_exploration 2 роки тому +8

      *Casually only drives 3 hours to the last BLOCKBUSTER becasue I live in Salem*

    • @spcyakima1077
      @spcyakima1077 Місяць тому

      Casually drives 6 minutes to a movie rental store in Wapato.

    • @MDE128
      @MDE128 Місяць тому +3

      I live in Portland. I went to Blockbuster last summer.

    • @Imlaor25
      @Imlaor25 20 днів тому

      Your so Lucky. I miss Blockbuster

  • @randomguy3814
    @randomguy3814 4 роки тому +122

    Blockbuster: I used to own this country

    • @Brendon_John_Harrison
      @Brendon_John_Harrison Рік тому +2

      Now, you’re in Bend, Oregon

    • @SupersuMC
      @SupersuMC Місяць тому +2

      Stores would open when I gave the word

    • @1cool
      @1cool 21 день тому +2

      i used to ruuuuule the woooorld

    • @interesting5309
      @interesting5309 15 днів тому

      ​@@SupersuMCNow in the country, I stand alone.

  • @PiddePedd
    @PiddePedd 4 роки тому +58

    In 2005 this video would have been possible to rent in a Blockbuster™️ store

  • @terranceippolito5061
    @terranceippolito5061 22 дні тому +14

    The Fall of The Blockbuster is Far More Significant than the Fall Of the Roman Empire..

    • @SlimHandle
      @SlimHandle 18 днів тому +1

      It certainly feels that way! Teachers, take note.

  • @DungarooTV
    @DungarooTV 2 роки тому +84

    The last one should just stay open regardless of profits and should be funded by the government or private investors for it's historical significance.

  • @orion7763
    @orion7763 Місяць тому +4

    Blockbuster's failure is entirely the fault of Blockbuster for not being forward thinking. They were offered to buy Netflix for $50 million in 2000 and laughed Netflix "out of the room."

    • @theshlauf
      @theshlauf 18 днів тому

      Buying Netflix would not have saved them. Netflix wasn't worth the price they were asking for in 2000. They could have very easily built the business Netflix was in 2000 for less money. The roots of their downfall are far deeper than that.

  • @Kingofportals
    @Kingofportals 4 місяці тому +16

    By January 2014 all they had left was 100 Blockbuster stores. Just sad what happened to them when only a few years prior they had over 5,000 stores. By 2019 all they had left was 1 single store, really tragic.

    • @ralphvelthuis2359
      @ralphvelthuis2359 16 днів тому +2

      That was just in the US. They had around 10,000 worldwide.

  • @MattyIcecubes
    @MattyIcecubes Місяць тому +15

    It was like a ride on Top Thrill Dragster; straight to the top until 2005; then a straight plummet down. Digital streaming wasn't what began Blockbuster's downfall, it was Netflix and Redbox. Now it's all digital, and the Redbox machines that used to be on every street corner have now become scarce.

    • @jeremyf9124
      @jeremyf9124 29 днів тому +1

      There are still a good amount of Redbox vending machines in my area, but they mostly have older movies. I still rent from them & libraries once in a while so I don’t need 10 streaming services. I also cancel streaming services and subscribe to different ones once in a while.

    • @MattyIcecubes
      @MattyIcecubes 29 днів тому

      @@jeremyf9124 I would still be a loyal Blockbuster customer if they still existed. You can find a Redbox machine at any Walgreens in my area but other than that they are few and far between; and just as you said, they're mostly older movies. The one at the Walgreens nearest me hasn't been flipped in over a year. It's all decked out in Barbie gear lol.

    • @MattyIcecubes
      @MattyIcecubes 29 днів тому

      @@jeremyf9124 I have Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Peacock. Only reason I have Peacock is because of football.

    • @phantomhourglass13
      @phantomhourglass13 26 днів тому +1

      Also ironic considering 2005 was the year Ka stole the height record from TTD.

    • @MattyIcecubes
      @MattyIcecubes 26 днів тому

      @@phantomhourglass13 And 2024 was the year TTD took it back.

  • @Tanakas7
    @Tanakas7 3 роки тому +12

    This video is both happy, sad, and satisfying.

  • @crixxxxxxxxx
    @crixxxxxxxxx 3 роки тому +16

    The last one is just an independent store that licenses the Blockbuster name.

    • @rebelgaming1.5.14
      @rebelgaming1.5.14 2 роки тому +1

      But it still is amazing that the Franchise Name is still kept around at one store at least. At as said in the 2020 Netflix Documentary 'The Last Blockbuster' it is licensed under Fox Entertainment who bought the Franchise in the early 2010s, so therefore technically it's still an official store. It has no plans of closing down as a large amount of Loyal customers in Bend keep the store afloat and the Tourism is has received from the Documentary is helping as well. I went there yesterday on July 26th, 2021, and the store is going strong. I hope it's around long enough for me to bring my kids to it in the future.

  • @lazarusblackwell6988
    @lazarusblackwell6988 2 роки тому +35

    People have no idea what the death of the video store really meant for all of us.
    Its was our only adventure that we would possibly have in a modern world in most places.
    I want my video stores back.... :( :( :(

    • @sneedwashere
      @sneedwashere Рік тому +5

      Imagine having this much nostalgia for a corporation lmao.
      “Our last possible adventure”
      Wtf???? Go take a walk in the woods lmaooo

    • @lazarusblackwell6988
      @lazarusblackwell6988 Рік тому +4

      @@sneedwashere For your information there would be no life without businesses.Why dont you go out and take a walk in the woods if you prefer that over the internet (which is run by business and corporations)

    • @sneedwashere
      @sneedwashere Рік тому +1

      @@lazarusblackwell6988 “there would be no life without businesses”
      Show me some businesses in the Sea Sponge community. Surely if they’re alive they must be running giant megacorporations right?

    • @justingreen575
      @justingreen575 11 місяців тому +7

      @@sneedwasherehey, let people have nostalgia over things. Definitely don’t over-romanticize capitalism. & I mean, maybe dude was being dramatic with the adventure comment but come on man.

    • @jazielsstuff9908
      @jazielsstuff9908 Місяць тому

      ​@@sneedwashereratio

  • @domkulesa2107
    @domkulesa2107 3 роки тому +9

    This just reminds me his old I am & how I’ll never get my childhood back

  • @chefcook09
    @chefcook09 3 роки тому +12

    If the last one stands enjoy it much as you can. If it closes it should turned into an museum.

  • @cuxum
    @cuxum 4 роки тому +69

    So 2005 was their peak huh? I thought it would've been 2007 or 08.

    • @lukelodeon7750
      @lukelodeon7750 3 роки тому +11

      It was 2004, around 2005 they started declining

    • @enzo-S
      @enzo-S 3 роки тому

      How? Video streaming was the reason of the decline?

    • @gushernandez25
      @gushernandez25 2 роки тому +11

      Yup, the rise of UA-cam/social media basically stripped Blcokbuster from the general public who wanted to watch videos.

    • @smithys_exploration
      @smithys_exploration 2 роки тому +7

      @@lukelodeon7750 It was both, technically very early 2005 was their max peak

    • @jeremyf9124
      @jeremyf9124 28 днів тому +5

      Streaming didn’t get big until about 2010. What killed video rental stores was Netflix DVD-by-mail and Redbox DVD vending machines and digital cable & satellite TV which allowed for hundreds of channels, including dozens of movie channels, combined with DVRs. Also, people got used to buying & selling games (GameStop mainly) rather than renting. Netflix DVD by mail had better selection than anyone, and you didn’t have to go to the stores, and no late fees. People also bought a lot of DVDs due to the extra content.

  • @SeemoreDunkan
    @SeemoreDunkan 16 днів тому +2

    Thanks for rewinding!

  • @Julio28Franco
    @Julio28Franco 12 днів тому +1

    From Dallas to Oregon with love. The Vhs era, and even the DVD era

  • @theshlauf
    @theshlauf 19 днів тому +1

    Imagine goingn through the process of opening a store in 2004, only to have a front row seat to seeing it all slide down hill.

  • @obsidianshade9684
    @obsidianshade9684 3 роки тому +29

    I miss Blockbuster so much, too bad I wasn't old enough to work there when they were still open, I'd love to know the closing dates of the ones in Delaware, I searched everywhere, I found a list of the locations and business hours but not closure, the one in New Castle was practically right outside my neighborhood across the street from my Middle School, after school before it closed on Friday my family would always head there pick up popcorn, candy, and rent a few movies. It kinda sucks that nobody in Delaware has photos of the inside of the store itself. Also the building remained for sale until like 2014-2015 where it was finally taken over by a clothing store called "Rainbow", the large Blockbuster logo street sign and post are still there, now with a tarp for an ad for an available building space for somewhere else in the small shopping center. I miss it so much that I now own an Employee uniform, including nametag, training pins, lanyard with name, an Excellence Awards Key Pin, and a Blockbuster manager store key and keychain from a California location. Plus an unused sheet of Blockbuster case stickers and Regular and Gold Membership Rewards cards and easy laminate sleeves. And I also own a Blockbuster Shopping basket and also the In-Store Blockbuster Promo DVDs, the DVDs are the ones that the employees would bring up on the TVs, type in the DVD pin and click on the promos, trailers, and releases for that month on that day, and depending on what day you click, the dates for the trailers and such will change like "releases tomorrow", then click the next day and it says "releases today". I currently have 2-3 DVDs per year from 2003-2010.

    • @bossboy5970
      @bossboy5970 3 роки тому +5

      I checked Google Maps and saw that it was still there by 2007 with a photo of the outside. Unfortunately the only photos of it are from 2007 and 2017 and by 2017 it was already replaced so I don’t really know other than it was after September 2007

    • @monsieurbilkins6351
      @monsieurbilkins6351 3 роки тому +1

      Hell yeah Delaware

    • @ryanhilliard1620
      @ryanhilliard1620 2 роки тому +3

      I worked at Blockbuster in 1996-97. Most of the day was spent dusting shelves, pacing around pretending to be busy. You didn't miss anything.

  • @AngryGrape1337
    @AngryGrape1337 21 день тому +3

    If you play the history of Blockbuster in reverse, it starts off as a small business then rises.

  • @Theking07.01
    @Theking07.01 20 днів тому +3

    Believe it or not, here in Brazil there were more than 300 Blockbusters, all of them were sold to Lojas Americanas (Brazilian store chain)

  • @SproutMeansGrow
    @SproutMeansGrow 8 місяців тому +19

    I keep rewatching this video. It's captivating and nostalgic and tragic. What shocks me is that they continued to grow way past what I would have thought. That they continued growing until 2005 is amazing in retrospect. My first job was Rent-A-FLICK (neon sign at night looked like something very different) for $3.35/hour. The first Blockbuster in Michigan stoke me away for a whopping $4.25/hr. I still miss working and going there as a customer. Netflix didn't kill blockbuster. Blockbuster killed Blockbuster by abandoning movies and focusing on games & toys.

  • @LockeDemosthenes2
    @LockeDemosthenes2 20 днів тому +2

    I know that streaming is much more convenient, but I miss going to a physical video rental place. There was something special about it.

  • @Realistic316
    @Realistic316 Місяць тому +2

    i miss the late 80s - early 90s time… Blockbuster was awesome to go to as a kid

  • @samcoulter1770
    @samcoulter1770 4 дні тому

    As someone who used to live in Bend, as a kid, we actually went to the last remaining one quite a bit. My grandma had an old VHS player and we used it a TON. We later moved away but still have the old VHS. When we go back to bend every now and then, we still stop by.

  • @Wardenclyffe2302
    @Wardenclyffe2302 3 роки тому +26

    It peaked at around 5,732 stores... (1:44) It's so sad that their only one store left. I kinda wish that instead of GME Stocks we invested in Blockbuster...

    • @joeswanson5115
      @joeswanson5115 3 роки тому +8

      the exact number is 5734

    • @SpinelFan64
      @SpinelFan64 4 місяці тому

      the gamestop surge was january 2021. bend’s been all alone since september 2018, corporate closed their last stores in january 2014, only leaving franchises, and they were pretty much at the point of no return by 2010/2011

  • @ludvigborga3676
    @ludvigborga3676 Місяць тому +4

    This is exacly what happens to a business that doesnt change with the times.

  • @metalgearaffy75
    @metalgearaffy75 День тому +3

    Don’t forget please VHS rewind tape! Cost you fee! Remember that

  • @TheOswards306
    @TheOswards306 26 днів тому +3

    January 2005 was really the peak for Blockbuster

    • @brandonneumann5294
      @brandonneumann5294 21 годину тому

      I was born in 1996 so I didn’t experience the whole era but even the late 2000s blockbuster was a Friday night ritual. Game stop and blockbuster were my favorite stores

  • @bryanmachado5330
    @bryanmachado5330 20 годин тому

    Crazy how much history/memories/experiences were going down during this time lapse demonstration

  • @carljohnson9057
    @carljohnson9057 3 роки тому +5

    this makes me cry

  • @TheVideoEditorGuy6579
    @TheVideoEditorGuy6579 2 роки тому +10

    Hope you can do Kmart next. Kmart only have 4 stores left in the U.S. (2 in NJ, 1 in NY, and 1 in FL) with 6 stores in the U.S. territories (1 in Guam, 1 in PR, and 4 in USVI).

    • @KLR2007
      @KLR2007 7 місяців тому

      ​@DJLovesSonicNow 2

    • @AppIePineapple
      @AppIePineapple Місяць тому +1

      @@KLR2007 with 4 in the territories

  • @mrclean5146
    @mrclean5146 10 місяців тому +3

    Cool vid. Defintely provides an example of a very quick rise and decline based off of how fast technology was moving at the time. Blockbuster was a staple for me and my friends in my teens, but i could talk to somebody 4 years younger than me that had never heard of or been to a blockbuster. So wild!

  • @PrestonGraff
    @PrestonGraff 4 роки тому +6

    Surprised this awesome video does not have more views

  • @michaelglendinning1738
    @michaelglendinning1738 Місяць тому +25

    I grew to hate who owns Hollywood. I watch movies with different eyes today. It's all about programming the people....not entertainment.

    • @crocodileguy4319
      @crocodileguy4319 20 днів тому

      schizo anon, hollywood is not making people trans

    • @ZEROxDEADDEAD
      @ZEROxDEADDEAD 19 днів тому +1

      Well it's both; you wont be as subconsciously open to programming if you aren't entertained

    • @crtm1274
      @crtm1274 17 днів тому +2

      always has been

    • @michaelglendinning1738
      @michaelglendinning1738 17 днів тому +4

      @@crtm1274 Imagine a movie industry that gave 100% of it's attention to pure entertainment. It would be wonderful. But instead, they build scripts and plots to match an agenda.

    • @Chris-nn3vu
      @Chris-nn3vu 11 днів тому

      based

  • @will_haze2199
    @will_haze2199 4 роки тому +21

    Everything changed when the Netflix nation attack.. Blockbuster the last movie bender

    • @thegamerguy8227
      @thegamerguy8227 3 роки тому

      Dudddeewe you should have put movie vendor it fits so perfectly

    • @ARandomDonut
      @ARandomDonut 3 роки тому +2

      Ha get it cause the last one is in Bend, Oregon

    • @thegamerguy8227
      @thegamerguy8227 3 роки тому

      @@ARandomDonut ah yea very smart

  • @CZac2k12
    @CZac2k12 2 дні тому

    I saw the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video. I still get memories of renting out N64 game from Blockbuster from 1996 to 2007 (age 10 to 21). Netflix and Amazon Prime changed everything. 😢

  • @dillonkinder9296
    @dillonkinder9296 Місяць тому +2

    That’s sad in January 2005 that when Blockbuster Video is just starting to shut down

  • @zzzzxxxxxz6017
    @zzzzxxxxxz6017 Місяць тому +4

    It makes 200% sense now that the decline starting in 2005. The smart phone was exploding, UA-cam and the internet itself started taking over 🤦‍♂️ I miss the world prior to 2005

    • @brandonneumann5294
      @brandonneumann5294 21 годину тому

      Even in the late 2000s blockbuster was still a big deal

  • @TrialzGTAS
    @TrialzGTAS 15 днів тому

    So many memories going to Blockbuster, Hollywood Video and the mom pop rental store we had in town. It was an era for sure. It’s a blessing and a curse having so much access.

  • @Daniel-ye3tm
    @Daniel-ye3tm 3 роки тому +8

    The last movie I rented from BB was Happy Feet 2.

  • @dallasoleary187
    @dallasoleary187 День тому

    Best story I heard was at a veterinary conference. Blockbuster found the town of Susanville, California which had a large population but no video stores nearby. So they put a store there to service the underserved populace. One problem - the population was mostly the inmates in the Susanville prison.

  • @krobin7h
    @krobin7h 2 роки тому +5

    Yes great job on pullling together the data for this and making it. Depicts a real piece of history. Surprising not more views and likes.

  • @44altecz
    @44altecz Місяць тому +3

    Blockbuster was offered to buy Netflix, but turned them down lol

  • @scottm9455
    @scottm9455 3 роки тому +9

    Damn man. So depressing. :(

    • @mikeb4481
      @mikeb4481 3 роки тому +2

      Why? No business is immortal.

  • @firstnamelastname7079
    @firstnamelastname7079 4 роки тому +8

    WOW! What a difference!

  • @iloveappleyoutube7198
    @iloveappleyoutube7198 3 роки тому +14

    Sometimes I wonder what the heck happened to them, and why they couldn't still be in business today (except for the 1 in Oregon)

    • @Icey_Sxnny
      @Icey_Sxnny 3 роки тому +8

      Netflix

    • @neptune8168
      @neptune8168 3 роки тому +7

      They Requested an Offer to buy Netflix, but they Didn't Buy it. Then Netflix Rised up to be an Empire, and no one went to Blockbuster. The Fall of an Empire

    • @luigi7834
      @luigi7834 Рік тому

      they failed to adapt to changing technology and trends

    • @iloveappleyoutube7198
      @iloveappleyoutube7198 Рік тому

      @@luigi7834 I know, it’s sad.

    • @jeremybottoms7619
      @jeremybottoms7619 Місяць тому

      ​@@luigi7834family video outlasted blockbuster and was less popular

  • @DragonBoyAC
    @DragonBoyAC 2 роки тому +4

    Do you have any information regarding what cities the specific blockbusters were in on specific years ?

  • @elissaharbuck2170
    @elissaharbuck2170 2 роки тому +4

    I love how the whole time, Maine was like, “meh… this is just a fad. We only need 1.”

    • @SpinelFan64
      @SpinelFan64 4 місяці тому

      movie gallery and hollywood video were more popular here

  • @MDE128
    @MDE128 Місяць тому +1

    I visited the last Blockbuster in Bend last summer.

  • @caellumwoodward
    @caellumwoodward 22 дні тому +1

    Way back in the past, I used to have 2 Blockbusters in Kingston, NY.

  • @pikachuthebananasplit9061
    @pikachuthebananasplit9061 19 днів тому

    This store was my happy place when I was four and my dad took me there every now and then so we were both devastated when they went out of business but I was able to purchase some of the movies that were still available when they were going out of business and I still have them to this day and I keep passing the building it use to be in and I always feel a tear go down my face.

  • @memox2005
    @memox2005 4 роки тому +26

    0:09 si se fijan verán q en ese segundo nace el único Blockbuster q aún existe :)

  • @explosivemodesonicmauricet1597
    @explosivemodesonicmauricet1597 3 роки тому +6

    1:45 and this is where the figures fall

  • @ntatenarin
    @ntatenarin 3 дні тому

    I remember there were so many Blockbusters in Chicago that there were 2 a few blocks from each other. I laughed that they were competing with each other. For those in Chicago, these 2 were by Lane Tech High School. One was by the Mariano's, and the other was by the Party City.

  • @j-mikedecker7279
    @j-mikedecker7279 25 днів тому

    Didn't realize till now my town's Blockbuster was among the first 200 to built in the middle of June 1988, and then was among the last 150 to be closed around December 2013. Our location was one of the most popular places in town to go even in its last few years. I remember going there in the summer of 2013 and the place was packed!

  • @Lumpy970253
    @Lumpy970253 4 роки тому +4

    What software do you use to made this video?

  • @marccamp6376
    @marccamp6376 5 днів тому

    The last blockbuster feels like a Clone Wars Separatist Stronghold forgotten by time but still secretly operative, awaiting for further orders that will never arrive...

  • @joseparcenary4706
    @joseparcenary4706 18 днів тому +1

    IMO, broadband internet is what killed Blockbuster.
    Personally, I liked the option of renting films on videotape or DVD, but I never liked the actual experience of using video-stores, even back when they were popular.
    As soon as high speed internet became a practical way to get my TV entertainment, I never went near a video-store again. For me, this was indeed around 2005. (1:46)

  • @cgimovieman
    @cgimovieman 12 днів тому

    I’m a younger of the range Gen X kid, and I’ve dealt with a lot of depression in recent years with so many physical stores and places going away. From places like Blockbuster, to malls, and just on and on. But even ones that still exist seem to have made efforts to just have you be in and out as fast as possible, to maximize profits. For instance, Starbucks used to have nice comfy upholstered or leather armchairs, softer lighting, and some even had a few books and board games by me. Now it’s limited seating, hard surfaces, and all of the chairs are wood. I used to love going in and just relaxing for 30 minutes with some coffee and a good book or my laptop. Now I don’t even like that there anymore. Barnes & Noble is kind of the same way. Most of the seating areas have been removed. At least by my remaining stores. What’s happened to our world?

  • @bvillafuerte765
    @bvillafuerte765 11 днів тому

    Good video.

  • @nunziocombattelli6311
    @nunziocombattelli6311 17 днів тому +1

    There was a Family Video near me until only a few years ago. I always loved going to physically rent movies. Honestly I never had streaming until that finally went out. Sort of forced my hand.

  • @Justin-Hill-1987
    @Justin-Hill-1987 24 дні тому +1

    For a brief period of time in the 2010s up until the pandemic hit, Family Video had more locations than Blockbuster...

  • @WinginWolf
    @WinginWolf Місяць тому

    Wow. I was surprised to see that one of the last 10 stores was in my hometown.

  • @Norcalflat
    @Norcalflat 3 роки тому +10

    Netflix happened. Then streaming. People got sick of late fees, and going to Blockbuster just to find the movie they have been hoping to pick up was all rented out. Blockbuster tried to do the delivery thing, but it was too late, everyone already jumped ship.

  • @bebe8090
    @bebe8090 16 днів тому

    2:33 That blockbuster up by the great lakes in Minnesota, I remember passing through the area in 2013 and being really surprised that there was still a blockbuster there. I hadn't seen on in years by that point.

  • @ADreamingTraveler
    @ADreamingTraveler 3 роки тому

    i like how someone posted this video on twitter without linking to the original video or crediting you and got 719k views in a day while your own video only has 88k over the course of a year

  • @mannhimself
    @mannhimself 22 дні тому

    According to that map it says my hometown got a blockbuster in the late 80s, we actually got one around 2003, and it closed in 2007. Also it shows many surrounding communities that have a population of way less than 10,000 getting blockbusters, which isn't feasible. They had either a locally owned video rental store or attached with a community gas station.

  • @greeneyesfromohio4103
    @greeneyesfromohio4103 10 днів тому

    As soon as the internet made its way….blockbuster was history.

  • @canadagoose188
    @canadagoose188 Місяць тому +2

    I still use dvds

  • @danielbowman5358
    @danielbowman5358 Місяць тому +1

    In a random instant from the Big Bang through an endless future. At an arbitrary location in the eternal vastness of space. We found ourselves blessed to be in that fleeting moment I call, THE AGE OF BUSTER.

  • @Jesse78
    @Jesse78 3 роки тому +3

    Texas (and surprisingly DFW) held out way longer than I expected

    • @thesoftparade1990
      @thesoftparade1990 2 роки тому

      Headquarters were based in downtown Dallas. Could be a factor.

  • @XMONVID
    @XMONVID 19 днів тому

    crazy how fast it grew but even crazier how fast it collapsed

  • @Dirkmez
    @Dirkmez 2 дні тому

    Interesting that 2005 when UA-cam came out, the Blockbuster stores started to disappear.

  • @bjv93
    @bjv93 3 роки тому +1

    Probably a long shot, but is there anyway you could do a rise and fall of KB Toys?

  • @colinroberts2060
    @colinroberts2060 3 місяці тому

    The one where I live in the Hudson Valley region of southern New York closed in April 2011, though from the looks of this, it wasn't the last one in that part of the state.

  • @lalilulelo
    @lalilulelo 3 дні тому +1

    I thought Blockbuster's peak years were 1998-2001. Then started to decline/decrease in 2002.

    • @m8x425
      @m8x425 3 дні тому

      I don't think this one is accurate. My hometown is in an unmistakable location, and according to this video the Wenatchee Blockbuster opened 3 years before it actually did.

  • @Elba.Ginon93
    @Elba.Ginon93 15 днів тому

    The first one I saw in Mexico was either 1995 or 96, it was in direct conpetition with videocentro, I bought my special edition vhs of independence day there, last thing I bought from a blockbuster was a Wii cod game RIP in peace block buster.

  • @danrhone9756
    @danrhone9756 29 днів тому +1

    I can watch free movies on UA-cam. Thank goodness video stores are no longer in existence

  • @1977Futre
    @1977Futre Рік тому +1

    I am a lot like many on here. I really miss the atmosphere of going to Blockbuster on a Saturday night. Whether it be with your mom and dad, girlfriend, mates or even alone. It was something cool to do. It gave you a chance to peruse and soak up the smell of popcorn and you had to put in a bit of effort to find something..even if it was crap. I would often choose a big hitter and then a crap movie I had never heard of. Amazing how often the unheard of one topped the pricey one. People talk about how good netflix / disney is. But I for one would be happy to have to go to Blockbuster just to get the brand new movies out......leaving the tv shows and slightly older movies to the streaming channels of course.

  • @kylecampbell8053
    @kylecampbell8053 Рік тому

    Good vid

  • @simenon5929
    @simenon5929 14 днів тому

    We had 3 blockbusters in our town in germany, one of them lasted until 2016 or 1018.

  • @mountaindew3201
    @mountaindew3201 3 роки тому +7

    Since 2005 that’s when the decline started.

  • @blackpepper6091
    @blackpepper6091 4 місяці тому +2

    Corporate arrogance, Blockbuster treated its customers so badly with late fee gouging that when any alternative showed up they were doomed. It was only a matter of time.