Blockbuster LLC, formerly Blockbuster Entertainment, Inc.,[4] and also known as Blockbuster Video[5] or simply Blockbuster, was an American-based provider of home movie and video game rental services through video rental shops, DVD-by-mail, streaming, video on demand, and cinema theater.[6] Blockbuster became internationally known throughout the 1990s. At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster employed 84,300 people worldwide, including about 58,500 in the United States and about 25,800 in other countries, and had 9,094 stores in total, with more than 4,500 of these in the US.[7][8][9][10]

Competition from the Netflix mail-order service, Redbox automated kiosks, and video on demand services were major factors in Blockbuster's eventual demise. Blockbuster began to lose significant revenue during the 2000s, and in 2010, the company filed for bankruptcy protection.[11][12] The following year, its remaining 1,700 stores were bought by satellite television provider Dish Network.[13][14]

While the Blockbuster brand has mostly been retired, Dish maintained a small number of Blockbuster franchise agreements, which allowed some stores to remain open in a few markets, namely Oregon in the US and Australia abroad.

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