‘Abandoned’ Blockbuster offers glimpse of the past
Like stumbling upon a relic from the past, one YouTube user posted a video of him discovering what at first appeared to an abandoned Blockbuster in south Texas.
Now for those who don’t remember the dark ages of home-movie watching – before Netflix introduced streaming online in 2007 and you were forced to change out of your sweatpants and leave the comforts of your home – Blockbuster was the king of movie and video game rentals with more than 9,000 stores and 60,000 employees at its peak in 2004.
But time is the greatest enemy of all kingdoms, and Blockbuster saw its moment in history pass. After competition from Netflix and Redbox sapped its revenue, it filled for bankruptcy in 2010 and, following an acquisition by the Dish Network, hundreds of stores were closed year after year until only a handful still remained.
YouTube user RubarGar_ said he found one of the chain’s abandoned locations and explores the concrete time capsule only to find rows upon rows of movies and video games that at one point likely compelled Texans into the world outside their homes for a new movie and some junk food.
The man is shocked to find that the store has been largely “untouched by time.”
But as the video nears its conclusion, the phone behind the store’s counter rings and he reveals a stunning twist.
“I guess it’s not abandoned,” he says.
“Because I actually work at Blockbuster in 2016,” he adds flipping the camera around to reveal his company nametag that reads Ruben.
He then pans the camera to reveal that a customer is entering the store and he has to go.
While it may be shocking to most, according to the company’s website, Blockbuster still has dozens of locations operating in the U.S.
And while the brand may be clinging to life, former CEO John Antioco likely won’t soon forget the opportunity he missed in 2000 when the co-founder and CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, offered his business for a measly $50 million.
At the time, Netflix was operating a DVD mailing service, and Antioco reportedly believed it was a “very small nice business.”
The streaming service is now worth more than $41 billion. That’s got to sting.