If there's anything that Netflix
Surely they've seen how many of their horror movies end.
Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees leaps out of the lake to tip the canoe over. Halloween's Michael Myers walks away after being riddled by bullets and a nasty fall. Carrie's Carrie White lifts her hand through her grave.
Now it seems as if Blockbuster isn't exactly dead either. Dish Network's
Redbox and NCR's
However, it seems as if Blockbuster wants to go out in a blaze of gunfire.
Cue up Scarface.
Say "Hello" to my little friend
No one really knows how Blockbuster's tenure under Dish will play out -- and that includes Dish itself.
It didn't pay a lot more than what liquidators were willing to bid on a chain earmarked to be gutted, but the clock is ticking on an aging inventory of fading optical discs.
Whether Dish wants to use the remaining Blockbuster stores as a vehicle to push its satellite television service or build on its Netflix-esque service of mailed discs and streamed flicks, time isn't on Blockbuster's side. Bankruptcy afforded Blockbuster the opportunity to wiggle its way out of unattractive leases on profitless stores, but Dish can't afford to throw good money after bad. It needs to save its money to pay off TiVo
The aggressive pricing is more of a Hail Mary lob than a pricing war salvo. In other words, this is a last-minute desperation play. It's a going-out-of-business sale masquerading as bravado.
Blockbuster's only hope
It will be interesting to see how studios play this one out, because it will make all the difference between Blockbuster dying a quick death or possibly even thriving.
Tinseltown has brokered deals with Netflix and Redbox to hold back on new releases for the first four weeks. The availability of fresh flicks through Netflix's DVD buffet or Redbox's buck rentals were eating into sales. Time Warner
How does Blockbuster's new pricing fit in all of this? Is $2.99 too cheap? At $4.99 for three days, Blockbuster's value proposition was similar to what video on demand and premium streaming services were charging. If Blockbuster succeeds at $2.99 it may devalue the value proposition of retail releases.
In other words, what many may interpret as an attack on Netflix and Redbox is really a shot at cable providers and the leading digital media giants. A round-trip to the corner Blockbuster -- if it's even still there -- may be a hassle. However, saving a couple of bucks over video on demand for the DVD with all of the special features is tempting. If we're talking about heavily marketed releases that won't be available for weeks through Netflix or Redbox, Blockbuster finally snags the differentiator advantage that it has lacked since the days of Wayne Huizenga.
Blockbuster's last shot to matter is desperate, but it's also pretty smart.
Is a cheaper Blockbuster a legitimate threat, or will the chain be dead in a year or two? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.