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From Blockbuster Stores to Streaming
- Amani Henry
- Jul 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 10
From weekend Blockbuster runs and shelves full of VHS tapes to snapping up DVDs at HMV, movie night used to mean a trip out and a little planning. Then came DVDs by mail, online rentals, and finally, the golden age of streaming. Today, it's all on-demand, in your pocket, with entire film libraries just a tap away. Formats changed, tech evolved, but our love for watching never went anywhere. 🍿💿➡️📲
🎬 From Aisles to Apps: The Evolution of Movie Culture
Take a quick time‑hop:
Late ’80s–’90s: Families bundled into Blockbuster for weekend main events
Early 2000s: DVDs brought better quality, bonus features, and no rewinding
Mid‑2000s onward: Streaming launched a seamless, anytime movie experience
Blockbusters expanded internationally throughout the 90s and peaked with over 9,000 stores in 2004, but failed to pivot quickly when Netflix began mailing DVDs. By the time Blockbuster launched its own mail service and dropped late fees, the shift had already begun. The rest, as they say, is history. 📉 Read more from Forbes
🍿 VHS to DVD: Why the Format Shift Was a Game‑Changer
Let’s rewind a bit. 📼➡️💿
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the jump from VHS to DVD wasn’t just about better visuals, it was a total shake-up of how we watched and collected movies. And in the UK, the shift was massive.
DVDs came with some serious perks:
Crisper visuals & sound – Goodbye grainy playback, hello digital clarity
No rewinding – Just skip to your fave scene instantly
Bonus features – Bloopers, commentary, deleted scenes, yes please!
Slim, durable design – Easier to store and harder to ruin
Shops like HMV, Woolworths, and Tesco turned into treasure troves for DVD deals!
In the US, sales hit $12.1 billion in 2002, completely overtaking VHS - 👉🏽(Variety)
Tech caught up too:
Standalone players flew off shelves
The PlayStation 2 doubled as a DVD player, helping it become the best-selling console ever 👉 (IGN)
Even fancier formats like Blu-ray and HD DVD tried to take the throne, but Blu-ray won, obviously!
The DVD era wasn’t just an upgrade. It was a moment in time, one we proudly stacked on shelves, alphabetised.
📺 Streaming Era: Endless Content in Seconds
Remember when picking a movie meant driving to Blockbuster and hoping your choice wasn’t already rented out? 🚗🎬 Now you can get nearly anything, anytime, anywhere.
Around 2017, streaming services went from “nice to have” to how we consume everything. In the UK, streaming revenues surpassed DVD and Blu-ray sales for the first time. That same year, DVD revenue tumbled below £1B. - (The Guardian)
💡 Why Streaming Took Over:
Instant access – No queues, no returns, just click and play
Massive libraries – Entire genres, shows, and classics at your fingertips
Multi-device convenience – Stream on laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, and game consoles like PS4 and Xbox One
Tech breakthroughs – Apps on smart TVs, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV made binge-watching easier than ever
Better UX – Platforms like Netflix introduced smart recommendations, autoplay features, and downloadable content by 2016
By 2017, Netflix had over 100 million global subscribers, with UK households rapidly catching on. - (The Guardian)
Netflix – Launched streaming in the U.S. in 2007, but hit its global stride between 2012–2017. With international expansion in 2016 and hits like Orange Is The New Black and Stranger Things, it redefined how we watch TV and film.
As Netflix set the pace, other platforms began catching up!
Amazon Prime Video (2011) – Offering streaming and online rentals (a quiet nod to the Blockbuster days)
NOW (Sky) 2012 – A UK favourite that let people stream Sky content without a satellite dish or long-term contract
Disney+ (2019) – Bringing the Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars universe under one roof
Apple TV+ (2019) – Original content and clean design integration into Apple devices
Paramount+(2021) – Rebranded and expanded globally after its launch, leveraging a strong archive of CBS, Nickelodeon, and Paramount content
Digital rentals still live on, Amazon and Apple TV offer new-release rentals that mimic the old-school Friday night vibe!
🎥 The Fall of Rentals: Blockbuster and Redbox
Blockbuster, once the king of video rentals, launched in 1985 and quickly became a weekend ritual for many. But as streaming services rose, store visits faded. By the mid-2010s, nearly all Blockbusters had closed, with one final store in Oregon, now a nostalgic pop culture landmark.
Redbox popped up in the U.S. in the 2000s and later expanded to Canada around 2012 with bright red DVD kiosks. It kept physical movie rentals going longer than most, offering quick access to new releases. But as streaming became the norm, even Redbox kiosks began to quietly disappear from the everyday movie night.
💾 Nostalgia Still Lives: Why Some Still Choose Physical Media
Physical media (DVD/Blu-ray) still sells, with collectors and cinephiles valuing warranty of quality and longevity.
Some titles simply aren’t available for streaming due to licensing.
Bonus features, special editions, and unreleased director cuts keep discs in demand.
🤔 Final Thoughts: Why Remember Blockbuster?
Because history reminds us how quickly things can change, and how emotional movie watching once was.
Blockbuster represented choice, ritual, and occasional chaos
DVDs offered collectible pride and added extras
Streaming delivers ease, algorithms, and speed
The end of physical rentals didn’t end our love for movie nights, it just changed how we get there. The excitement of release day is still alive, only now it’s a midnight drop on Netflix or a pre-order alert instead of a dash to the shops. No more queues, no late fees, just instant access.
While we’ve left behind some of the old rituals (like wandering the aisles or grabbing the last copy), we’ve gained the freedom to watch what we want, when we want. One thing’s clear: our love for movies hasn’t faded, it’s simply evolved.
From VHS tapes to streaming apps, the format may change, but the joy of movie night lives on. 🍿📺
