Blockbuster, Inc. (NYSE: BBI) is one of the largest chain of DVD and video game rental stores in the world. It is headquartered at Renaissance Tower in downtown Dallas, Texas, and has many locations in over thirty countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Argentina, Uruguay, Ireland, Puerto Rico, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, Chile, Taiwan, Italy, Denmark, Venezuela and Colombia. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Blockbuster. ... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Live Large. ... A Chief Executive Officer (CEO), or Chief Executive, is the highest-ranking corporate officer, administrator, corporate administrator, executive, or executive officer, in charge of total management of a corporation, company, organization or agency. ... A chairperson is the political correct term for the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... Chain stores are a range of retail outlets which share a brand and central management, usually with standardised business methods and practices. ... DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... A rental shop is a store where a consumer can borrow reusable products for a fee for a certain period of time before returning them. ... The top of Renaissance Tower from the west Renaissance Tower, located at 1201 Elm Street in downtown Dallas, Texas is a 56-story modern-styled skyscraper. ... Pedestrians along Stone Street. ... Nickname: Motto: Live Large. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

History

Blockbuster, Inc. began as Blockbuster Video in Dallas, Texas when it opened its first store on October 19, 1985. The founder of the company was a 29-year-old man named David P. Cook. Cook grew the business and brought it public before handing the reins to CEO, Joe Mitchell who quickly grew it into a multi-billion dollar corporation. † Nickname: Motto: Live Large. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...

The company became a part of Viacom Inc. in 1994 at a price of $8.4 billion. During the 1990s Blockbuster bought out their major UK rival Ritz Video and changed the name of all the stores to their own, which made them the number-one video rental store in the country by a wide margin. † Viacom (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIAb) is an American media conglomerate with various worldwide interests in cable and satellite television networks (MTV Networks and BET), and movie production and distribution (the Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks movie studios). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

In 1996, the Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation as it was then known, was renamed Blockbuster, Inc. and the retail stores, Blockbuster. Most older stores have not changed.

Blockbuster moves corporate offices from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Dallas, TX in 1997. † Fort Lauderdale, known as the Venice of America, is a city located in Broward County, Florida. ... Dallas redirects here. ...

In 1998, the Blockbuster Video distribution center in McKinney, TX opens. [1] McKinney is a city located in Collin County, Texas. ...

Blockbuster launches Blockbuster Rewards in 1999. Blockbuster opens DEJ Productions, its independent film acquisition and distribution subsidiary. [2] Also, Blockbuster makes its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on August 10th as "BBI". [3] The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ...

In 2002, Blockbuster acquires Movie Trading Company, a Dallas chain that buys, sells, and trades movies and games, to study potential business models for DVD and game trading. † Also in '02, they acquire Gamestation, a 64 store chain UK computer and console games retailer. † Gamestation is a chain of UK retail shops selling used and new videogames, and is currently the second-largest specialist video game retailer in the UK. It is wholly owned and operated by Blockbuster, which bought the chain in 2002[1]. Gamestation currently have over 200 outlets in the UK...

Blockbuster seperates from Viacom in 2004 [4] and launches Game Pass nationwide. Online DVD subscription is introduced on Blockbuster.com (aka Blockbuster Online). [5] Blockbuster also rolls out its Game Rush store-in-store concept to approximately 450 domestic Company-operated stores. Blockbuster begins game and DVD trading in select US stores too. [6]

In December 2004, Blockbuster announced it wanted to pursue a hostile takeover of Hollywood Video, its major U.S. competitor.^[1] In response, Hollywood Video agreed to a buyout in January 2005 by a smaller competitor, the Dothan, Alabama-based Movie Gallery. A takeover in business refers to one company (the acquirer, or bidder) purchasing another (the target). ... Movie Gallery, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the second largest movie and game rental company in the United States, behind Blockbuster Video. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

On January 1, 2005, Blockbuster revolutionized the movie and game rental industry by eliminating late fees in all US Corporate stores. [7]

The Company introduced Blockbuster Total Access in 2006, a online movie rental program that gives customers the option of exchanging their online DVD rentals through the mail or returning them to a nearby participating Blockbuster store in exchange for free in-store movie rentals. Blockbuster currently offers bonus coupons to all of its online customers. These coupons are used in-store. Customers on any plan receive one coupon per month to rent a free DVD or game from a brick-and-mortar location. With this service, customers no longer have to choose between renting online or renting in-store, and they never have to be without a movie. [8]

On June 19, 2007, Blockbuster made an announcement to choose Blu-Ray over HD-DVD rental format to rent out in a majority of its stores after a pilot program launched in late 2006, in which Blockbuster offered selected titles for rental and sale in 250 stores. Blockbuster now plans to stock Blu-ray only in 1450 of it's stores, but says the 250 stores with the HD-DVD movies will be kept on the shelf. [9]

Overall, Blockbuster has lost significant amounts of money in recent years: $1.6 billion in 2002, almost $1.0 billion in 2003, and $1.2 billion in 2004.

As of February 2006, the company had a market value of under $500 million. Market capitalization, often abbreviated to market cap, mkt. ...

A Blockbuster store in Mexico

A Blockbuster store in the UK

ImageMetadata File history File links Blockbustervideostore. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Blockbustervideostore. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1632x1224, 281 KB) A Blockbuster Video rental shop in the town of Peterlee, County Durham, England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1632x1224, 281 KB) A Blockbuster Video rental shop in the town of Peterlee, County Durham, England. ...

Retail operations

By 1989, Blockbuster had 1,000 stores, when it opens locations in Canada and London. †

1991 brought more internationl expansion into Australia, Chile, Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela. This year ended with more than 2,000 stores. †

The New York City store opens in 1993 as the 3,000th store in the chain. † New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

In 2002, Blockbuster ends the year with nearly 8,600 stores. †

At the end of 2004, Blockbuster's annual report put the number of U.S. stores at 5,803 (4,708 company-operated and 1,095 franchised). International stores (operating under Blockbuster and other brands) totalled 3,291, including 426 in Canada, 897 in Britain, and 408 in Australia. It has been claimed that there are more than 43 million U.S. households with Blockbuster memberships. [10] shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The company has an Irish subsidiary, Xtravision, which does not operate under the Blockbuster brand name. Xtra-vision Limited is Irelands largest chain of video rental stores, founded in 1979. ... This article is about brands in marketing. ...

Business model

The standard business model for video rental stores was that they would pay a large flat fee per video, approximately US$65, and have unlimited rentals for the lifetime of the cassette itself. It was Sumner Redstone, whose Viacom conglomerate then owned Blockbuster, who personally pioneered a new revenue-sharing arrangement for video, in the mid-1990s. Blockbuster obtained videos for little cost and kept 60 percent rental fee, paying the other 40 percent to the studio, and reporting rental information through Rentrak. What Blockbuster got out of the deal, besides a lower initial price, was that movies were not available for sale during an initial release period, at least at an affordable price point - customers either had to rent, wait, or buy the film on tape at the much higher MSRP price targeted at other rental chains and film enthusiasts, at that time then between $70-$100 before the end of the initial release period. Sumner Murray Redstone (born Sumner Murray Rothstein on May 27, 1923 in Boston, Massachusetts) is Chairman of the Board and controlling shareholder of the Viacom and CBS Corporation media conglomerates. ... The Rentrak Corporation, founded in 1984, is an entertainment industry information management company that provides services to Movie studios and Video Rental Shops. ... MSRP stands for Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price. Under earlier U.S. state Fair Trade statutes, the manufacturer was able to impose a fixed price for items. ...

In 1998, Blockbuster refused to use the same model for DVDs, which were just starting as an alternative format. The studios then decided to price DVDs low enough so that it could be sold to the public in direct competition with video rentals, and to provide no rental-only release period. As a result, the amount of DVD sales increased while rentals of the same titles did not. By 2003, the studios were taking in three times as much money from DVDs sales as they were from VHS videos.^{[citation needed]}

Special Programs and Offers

Guaranteed in Stock

Blockbuster guarantees the availability of select titles. These titles are selected before release, determined by volume of stock and price of stock. They become guaranteed the second week of their release and typically stay guaranteed for two months. When the title is out of stock the customer is given a coupon, this coupon is good only for the guaranteed title, redeemable only at the store at which it was received, and expires in 30 days.

The practice was briefly dropped in 2004 when Blockbuster first introduced the "End of Late Fees" promotion. During this time there was an ongoing problem with unreturned titles. Blockbuster was able to secure deals with several major studios to secure more rental stock and reinstate the practice as of early 2006. It is currently still offered. As is the case with all Blockbuster promotions and policies, franchise stores are not required to participate, and due to the added cost many do not.

Blockbuster Rewards

Blockbuster Rewards is an optional, paid membership program that began in 1999. For a yearly fee (usually $9.95 tax-free), members can obtain free rentals through their Rewards membership by the following means:

1. Once a month, customers receive a coupon for a non-New Release movie.

2. For every five paid rentals within one calendar month, the customer receives one New Release or video game rental free. When they rent five, they get one rental free (which may include New Release movies or games). Only two free rentals can be accumulated each calendar month using the rent five, get one method.

3.On Monday through Wednesday Blockbuster Rewards customers can receive a free non-new release movie rental for each paid rental.

Within Canada, the Blockbuster Rewards Membership is assembled slightly differently. For one, the monthly non-New Release movie coupon has been discontinued. The "Rent Five, Get One Free" promotion applies only to New Release and Video Game paid rentals, but there is no limit on how many one may accumulate within a calendar month.

The promotion where a customer can receive a free non-New Release movie with the paid rental of a New Release movie is only available to "Gold Rewards," and the window of opportunity is extended to Sunday through Thursday. The "Gold Rewards" membership is a free upgrade on the normal "Blue Rewards" membership, and is given to any Rewards customer accounts that accumulate 100 paid new release rentals within one year. If this volume of rentals is maintained, the annual fee is waived, and the customer continues to be a "Gold Rewards" member without having to renew.

The Rewards program is designed to provide a discount to high-volume customers, mostly those who watch the latest releases. Because the cost is relatively low (about the cost of two rentals) and its effective time is so long (one year), it also caters to those with sporadic rental patterns. Moreover, unlike the Movie Pass program or an online program, no credit card is required to purchase Rewards, so it can serve as a volume discount to those without credit cards.

Movie Pass and Game Pass

Blockbuster also started a Movie Pass program, which operates similarly to NetFlix or its own mail-in rental service. Blockbuster members pay a flat fee to rent as many movies as the member would like. The in-store Movie Pass has the advantages of both speed and volume. A customer may swap movies twice a day or more, if he/she so desires. Moreover, the Movie Pass allows a customer to obtain a movie on-demand, rather than waiting the 1-2 days for an online rental. On the other hand, the selection is limited compared to mail-in programs, and the in-store Movie Pass is typically more expensive. When Extended Viewing Fees were still charged, the Movie Pass program enabled a customer to keep their movies for whatever period they wished without having to pay Extended Viewing Fees.

Blockbuster also offers a Game Pass, which works like the newer movie pass, except that it allows customers to swap games instead of movies.

GameRush Stores

In Summer 2003, Blockbuster started converting select stores in select regions to GameRush stores. These stores sell and buy consumers DVDs, games, gaming systems, and accessories. It is offered as a direct competition to stores such as GameStop and Game Crazy. Blockbuster used their location status to get instant coverage; it also promotes these stores by hosting video game tournaments, special trade-in offers, and a more "hip" look to the selection and staff. However when Blockbuster introduced "The End of Late Fees" GameRush was put on the chopping block. As of April 2007, GameRush stores are being reduced back to just a games section. GameStop Corporation (NYSE: GME), headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, USA, is the worlds largest video game and entertainment software retailer. ... Movie Gallery, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the second largest movie and game rental company in the United States, behind Blockbuster Video. ...

Elimination of late fees

On January 1, 2005 Blockbuster introduced their "Life after late fees" program.^[2][3] Instead of late fees, which Blockbuster called Extended Viewing Fees (see infra), Blockbuster allows a seven day window after the due date, wherein the item may be returned without charge. After this point, Blockbuster automatically converts the rental to a sale and charges the customer the sale price (initially the retail price, it changes to the previously viewed price if the store offers the movie as previously viewed product.) of the unreturned item. As of August 22, 2006, Blockbuster discontinued the rental-to-sale policy that had customers pay for the price of the movie minus the rental fee. Now, the rental fee will not be deducted from the sale. Customers may then return the item within 30 days after the automatic sale date to have this charge refunded, less a "restocking fee" of $1.25. The initial due date of the rental item and the automatic sale date are both printed on the receipt beneath the title of the rental item. A late fee, also known as a late fine, is a charge levied against a client by an organization for not returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. ...

The "Life after Late Fees" policy, as stated above, applies to corporate-owned stores, and some elements of the policy may differ among franchised stores. Exact terms and conditions can be found on Blockbuster's website here. Franchising (from the French for honesty or freedom[1]) is a method of doing business wherein a franchisor licenses trademarks and tried and proven methods of doing business to a franchisee in exchange for a recurring payment, and usually a percentage piece of gross sales or gross profits as well...

On February 18, 2005 the Attorney General of New Jersey filed suit against Blockbuster, alleging that it had failed to clearly disclose the terms of the new policy, and that some franchised stores were not participating in the program, had shorter grace periods, or charged higher 'restocking' fees.^[4] Other states began looking into the program as well. On March 29 Blockbuster signed an "Assurance of Voluntary Compliance" with 46 states and the District of Columbia (not including New Jersey), in which it agreed to more clearly inform customers of the terms and limitations of the program.^[5] A refund program was set up for those affected by the purchase charges or restocking fees, and rental coupons offered to compensate for Extended Viewing Fees paid in non-participating stores prior to the agreement. Blockbuster also paid $630,000 to the states involved to cover the costs of the investigation. In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Franchising (from the French for honesty or freedom[1]) is a method of doing business wherein a franchisor licenses trademarks and tried and proven methods of doing business to a franchisee in exchange for a recurring payment, and usually a percentage piece of gross sales or gross profits as well... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack...

In 2002, Blockbuster settled a prior, unrelated suit that claimed that the company's late fees were unfair. Under the old Blockbuster policy, a customer was charged the full rental price for every rental period a movie was late. For example, if a 2-day movie rental cost $5, and the rental was returned 4 days past the due date, the customer would be charged $10 in late fees. The settlement included coupons distributed to customers who had paid late fees under the old policy. Blockbuster changed their policy and began charging "Extended Viewing Fees," where the customer simply paid as if s/he had re-rented the movie.^[6]

Quantity and selection of titles

Blockbuster (like most other rental stores) tends to stock more copies of new movies than older releases, in order to capitalize on heavy consumer demand for new release titles. Titles that are more than one year past their initial release date are stored as "Blockbuster Favorite" (non-new release) titles. DVD non-new releases are not officially branded as Blockbuster Favorites, but are often referred in that manner anyway. Typically only 1-4 rental copies are retained past the first year of release. The large volume of new release copies are typically sold after the initial renting rush. These copies are usually sold "previously viewed" for around $10-15, sometimes as low as $3.99. Most Blockbuster locations also accept trade-ins of used DVDs, which are sold alongside the existing stock of previously rented movies in order to create a more robust selection of titles for sale.

Increasingly, Blockbuster, movie companies, and other rental stores, are adopting online or other methodologies to deliver movie content to their customers.^[7] Those customers who are interested in a large catalog of older movies are best suited to online rental programs, such as Blockbuster Online (see infra) or NetFlix, both of which offer a larger variety than any brick-and-mortar video store can provide. Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), established in 1998, is the largest online DVD rental service, offering flat rate rental-by-mail to customers in the United States. ...

Online operations

United States

In August 2004, Blockbuster introduced an online DVD rental service in the U.S. to compete with the established market leader, NetFlix.^[8] The initial price of the standard three-disc plan was $19.95, which was below the NetFlix price (which had increased from $19.95 to $21.99 in June).^[9] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

In October, NetFlix reduced its own 3-disc price to $17.99; Blockbuster responded by reducing its price to $17.49.^[10] Blockbuster made a further reduction to $14.99 in December, and apparently guaranteed this price to existing customers until January 2006.^[11] In August 2005, Blockbuster raised their prices for new customers to match the NetFlix level of USD$17.99.^[12] The above prices are for the standard three-disc plan; other plans vary from $5.99 for one disc (limit 2 per month), $7.99 for one disc (limit 3 per month),$9.99 for one disc (unlimited), and $14.99 for 2 discs (unlimited).

Blockbuster currently offers bonus coupons to all of its online customers. These coupons are used in-store. Customers on any plan receive one coupon per month to rent a free DVD or game from a brick-and-mortar location. Customers who signed up for the three-disc plan prior to the introduction of Total Access received four coupons per month (one per week) which could be used for movie rentals in store. An option no longer available to new customers is the three disc plan that offered only two coupons per month. These could be used for either movie or video game rentals. Older members of the three disc plan had the option to continue this plan, or switch to the newer four coupon plan. With the new option to exchange the online mailers for free in-store rentals, the coupons no longer became necessary. However, older members still receive two coupons per month good for either game or movie rentals for the same price that members with one coupon pay. Online customer service will not allow older members to revert to this plan after responding to Blockbuster advertising intended to drive them to a new plan. When a customer contacts the online customer service to report a problem that caused a delay, the response usually includes an additional in-store bonus coupon, which is good for 30 days.

Blockbuster also offers a special promotional discount to new customers or customers who canceled their online program before the introduction of Total Access. The first two weeks of online service are free for a three-disc plan. There is also an elusive promotional discount for the first month of online service for free for a three-disc plan that is available on several online coupon websites. After the promotional period, customers have the option to retain, cancel, or modify their subscription packages.

Blockbuster's U.S. online operation started with around 10 warehouses; further expansions have brought that number to 35 plus 1400+ stores in the Blockbuster Online network. ^[13][14][15] The company had 1.5 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter of 2006 (as compared to 5.6 million for NetFlix).^[16] Blockbuster's move to follow the business pattern with its online rentals as was established by NetFlix prompted NetFlix to sue Blockbuster for infringement of patent. Blockbuster counter sued NetFlix with a counterclaim alleging deceptive practices with its patent which it alleges was designed to maintain an illegal monopoly.

Blockbuster Online Total Access

In November 2006, Blockbuster launched a revamped Blockbuster Online known as "Blockbuster Online Total Access". Total Access is an attempt to regain customers who left for competitor stores and services, namely Netflix. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), established in 1998, is the largest online DVD rental service, offering flat rate rental-by-mail to customers in the United States. ...

While customers will still be able to send their online rentals back through the mail, Total Access gives them the option of returning the movies to their local participating Blockbuster store. In exchange, every online rental returned to the store can be redeemed for a free in-store rental within that same visit. Once an employee scans the online rental for the exchange, the item is automatically checked in, prompting for the next movies to be sent, though it may still show up on the customer's online queue until it reaches distribution. Many complaints recently on review boards have been showing a significant delay taking place with this procedure recently though. Because Total Access and the stores are technically separate businesses, if a customer rents a movie in-store and it is also in their queue, it must be removed by the customer via their online account to avoid receiving the same movie by mail. Some stores also feature an in-store laptop in which customers can sign up for the Total Access program, manage their account or queue, and even cancel their Netflix account.

On December 5, 2006, Blockbuster introduced a deal under which offers Netflix members a free movie rental when they exchange the tear-off address flaps of their Netflix rental envelopes. Members could receive on-the-spot free rentals from Blockbuster for every flap they bring in to their local Blockbuster. The deal expired December 21. [11] Blockbuster repeated this same promo during the President's Day holiday 2007. [12] December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

At the end of 2006, Blockbuster Total Access had 2.2 million customers, exceeding their original goal of 2 million, according to the official website. [13]

On January 5, 2007, Southern Stores Inc, one of Blockbuster's largest franchise operators in the United States, filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that, by introducing Blockbuster Online and Blockbuster Total Access, the rental chain has undercut the group's franchise agreement. ^[17] January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On June 12, 2007, Blockbuster launched an online-only movie rental plan starting at $4.99 per month, with a tiered structure which is, unlimited rentals of three movies out at a time, at $16.99 per month, a dollar cheaper than Netflix. Pricing for Total Access remains at $17.99 per month for the three-out-at-a-time plan. The new online-only Blockbuster by Mail customers will have the option of returning their movies to a store, which allows faster shipping of the next movie, but they will not be allowed a free in-store rental. However, like Total Access customers, they will receive one coupon per month for a free in-store movie or game rental. The new Blockbuster by Mail online-only service is broken down in the following tiers: $22.99 per month for unlimited rentals of four movies out at a time, $16.99 for three at a time, $13.99 for two at a time, $8.99 for one at a time, $6.99 for one at a time maximum of three per month and $4.99 for one at a time maximum two per month. Blockbuster will continue to offer the Total Access online/in-store option with rates that are $1 higher than each Blockbuster by Mail plan in the same tier. [14] June 12 is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Blockbuster Online Total Access For Game Rentals

On December 19, 2006, Blockbuster announced that all its total access customers will be able to redeem their monthly online coupon for either a free movie or a free game rental. However online DVD rentals may be exchanged for in-store movies only.^{[18] [19]} December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

United Kingdom

In the UK, Blockbuster has been providing a version of online rentals since October 2002 with its "Pay Per Rent" service.^[20][21] This is more like a postal version of store rentals than the traditional online DVD rental subscription model, with per-rental prices of £3.50-£4.50, with a rental period of 5 nights (usually Monday-to-Friday, not including postal delivery times), and late fees (£0.70-0.90 per disc).^[22]

In May 2004, Blockbuster also introduced a conventional online subscription service.^[23][24] The unlimited 3-disc plan is £14.99/month.

NC-17 and unrated films

Representing themselves as a family-friendly chain, Blockbuster has always banned pornography, though carrying R-rated and unrated films, including a large number of "soft porn" titles (including Red Shoe Diaries which was distributed exclusively by Blockbuster in a now expired agreement with Showtime). Blockbuster requires employees to check ID and does not allow rental of titles with a rating over R to children under 17 unless their parents have specifically allowed it through a family account. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Pornographic movies Pornography (Porn) (from Greek πόρνη (porne) prostitute and γραφή (grafe) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the explicit representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... Erotica, from the Greek eros, love, are works of art, including literature, photography, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or arousing descriptions. ... The cover for one of the DVD releases. ... Showtime is a subscription television brand used by a number of channels and platforms around the world, but primarily refers to a group of channels in the United States. ... Look up R, r in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

On September 27, 1990, the MPAA introduced the NC-17 rating in order to distinguish nonpornographic adult material from pornographic 'X-rated' materials. Subsequently, under pressure from the Christian organization the American Family Association, headed by Rev. Donald Wildmon, Blockbuster at that time decided not to stock NC-17 titles and also to ban certain "unrated" titles from its store shelves, regardless of whether or not these titles constituted "pornography". Originally, the AFA also convinced Blockbuster to ban certain contentious films such as The Last Temptation of Christ, although Blockbuster's online service and many of its stores currently carry that and other controversial films,^{[citation needed]} as well as older NC-17-rated films such as Henry & June and Showgirls. September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a non-profit trade association formed to advance the interests of movie studios. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... X-rated, X certificate, X classification or similar terms are labels for movies implying strong adult content, typically pornography or violence. ... The American Family Association (AFA) is a conservative Christian organization founded in 1977 by Rev. ... Donald E. Wildmon, born 18 January 1938 in Dumas, Mississippi, is the founder and head of the American Family Association. ... The Last Temptation of Christ is a film adaptation of the controversial 1951 novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis. ... Henry & June is a 1990 film. ... Showgirls is a film directed by Paul Verhoeven and released in 1995 by United Artists. ...

Critics of the chain, including Naomi Klein in her anti-globalization book No Logo (1999), allege that Blockbuster is involved in "censorship," because it not only bans certain titles, but has allegedly edited videos for release beyond the standard retail cut, or allegedly used its significant market share to influence studios to do so. Blockbuster's critics claim this alleged editing to secure more "family-friendly" ratings is a necessity for studios if they want their products to reach a wider video market. Blockbuster itself has never edited any film title, instead choosing to carry official, studio released R-rated versions in place of the original NC-17 rated versions. Naomi Klein (born May 5, 1970 [1]) is a Canadian journalist, author and activist. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Front cover of No Logo. ... Censorship is defined as the removal and withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ...

Some award-winning movies such as Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000), Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher (2000) and Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education (2004) have been subject to such editing from studios^{[citation needed]}, and were at one time unavailable for rental in their original form in most Blockbuster locations. Since being spun off from Viacom in 1999, Blockbuster's policies toward these films have become relaxed and these films are now widely available in their original versions. Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. ... Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 film adaptation of a 1978 novel of the same name. ... Michael Haneke A feature film is twenty-four lies per second. ... The Piano Teacher (French: La Pianiste) is a 2001 film directed by Michael Haneke, starring Isabelle Huppert and Benoit Maginel. ... Pedro Almodóvar (born September 24, 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. ... Bad Education (Spanish: La mala educación) is a 2004 film by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar about two reunited childhood friends (and lovers) in the vein of an Alfred Hitchcock murder mystery. ...

For highly commercial films such as Anchorman or the American Pie series, Blockbuster will often carry the "unrated" DVD release instead of or in addition to the theatrical PG-13 or R-rated cut. In this case, the "unrated" version has often been specifically designed to appeal to the larger older teen market available through Blockbuster stores, advertising enhanced sexual or other content that supposedly would have secured it an NC-17, had this version ever been submitted to the MPAA for a rating. However, in reality, these "unrated cuts" simply include a few extra scenes that were not reviewed by the MPAA. It does not guarantee racier content. Anchorman may refer to: News anchor, someone who works in radio who hosts a regular news program Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, a 2004 American comedy movie This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy film directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz and written by Adam Herz. ... The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a non-profit trade association formed to advance the interests of movie studios. ...

In addition, Blockbuster also uses a "YRV" or "Youth Restricted Viewing" rating system to distinguish these racier, unrated DVDs. Any movie marked as YRV (usually on the same sticker with the barcode) is not recommended for or rented to any renter under the age of 17. YRV does not necessarily mean NC-17 rated content. It means this film is not rated by the MPAA; however, it is not suitable for children. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a non-profit trade association formed to advance the interests of movie studios. ...

Blockbuster policy prohibits ESRB Adults Only-rated video games. Recently Blockbuster followed many other retail stores and pulled Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from store shelves after the game's rating was increased from Mature to Adults Only. Later, Blockbuster, again like its retail counterparts, began carrying a modified version of the game, from which "pornographic elements" had been removed. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games in the United States. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ... Wikinews has news related to: Video games secret sex scenes spark outrage The Hot Coffee mod is a mod created for the 2005 personal computer port of the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas by Rockstar North. ...

In Canada, the YRV stickers carry an age limit of 18 or older. The policy of not carrying US "unrated" and director's cut versions have been relaxed in recent years with the establishment of the Canadian Home Video Rating System in 1995. It is not uncommon for Blockbuster Canada to carry American unrated versions of softcore films as well. Different provinces have differing community standards and rating systems which are required to be followed by law. As a result prior to 1995, the Blockbuster Canada simply followed the American policies in order to prevent confusion and have one uniform policy for all stores. The Canadian Home Video Rating System (CHVRS) is a voluntary rating classification system applied to home video products such as VHS and DVDs. ...

Marketing

Advertising campaigns

Tippett-produced television commercial for Blockbuster, with Carl and Ray.

One of Blockbuster's most well known advertising campaigns was launched during the 2002 Super Bowl. It starred the voices of Jim Belushi and James Woods, as a rabbit and a guinea pig in a pet shop, located across the road from a Blockbuster store. The first campaign ended in 2003. The Carl and Ray campaign started again in 2007 starting with a commercial in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLI. Download high resolution version (2324x1765, 2737 KB)Blockbuster ad promo This work is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (2324x1765, 2737 KB)Blockbuster ad promo This work is copyrighted. ... An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). ... The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ... James Belushi (also known as Jim Belushi) (born June 15, 1954) is an American film and television actor. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. ... Binomial name Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758) Guinea pigs (also called cavies) are rodents belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia, originally indigenous to the Andes. ... Date February 4, 2007 Stadium Dolphin Stadium City Miami Gardens, Florida MVP Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Colts Favorite Colts by 7, over/under line 49. ...

Franchising

In Australia, the company pursued a franchising model whereby its corporate stores, which peaked at 133 in 1998, were converted into franchises. The company also disbanded its chain of Game Rush video game stores, presumably as a part of the U.S. headquarter's strategy to focus on core rental business. Metropolitan Victoria (Melbourne) was the last remaining significant concentration of corporate stores. They currently have 5192 stores across the U.S. Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ...

In February 2007, Blockbuster announced plans to sell its Australian subsidiary and franchising rights to Video Ezy, subject to approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Blockbuster's Australian operations encompassed 29 company-owned stores and 341 franchises, which Video Ezy would continue to operate using the Blockbuster brand.^[25] Video Ezy is Australias largest video and DVD rental chain with over 550 stores within Australia as well as over 140 stores in New Zealand and 200 throughout South-East Asia. ... The ACCC Logo The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is an independent Australian commonwealth government authority established in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission (TPC) and the Prices Surveillance Authority, to protect consumer rights, business rights and obligations, perform industry regulation and price monitoring and...

Blockbuster, yes, it will self destruct on 23/06/2007

References

† Information from the 2005 Blockbuster Employee Handbook.

External links

• Blockbuster Video Corporate website