Dish Network to keep 600 Blockbuster stores in operation

The Celebrity Cafe ^ | 4/19/2011 | Yoni Kaufman

[TheDingoAteMyBaby]

The satellite-TV company will likely close a majority of the 1,751 stores currently operating in the U.S.

Dish Network, which will soon become the official owner of the Blockbuster video-rental chain, filed documents with Bankruptcy Court Saturday stating that it intends to keep some 600 Blockbuster stores open after its purchase is finalized.

Earlier this month, Dish won a bidding war for the struggling rental company with an offer of roughly $320 million.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Blockbuster currently operates 1,751 stores in the U.S., which means that the new owners will likely be closing more than 1,000 stores nationwide.

Dish Network has not revealed whether the number of stores it plans to operate will still be 600 by the time all is said and done. However, it is believed that the satellite TV provider intends to both maintain a retail presence and use Blockbuster's brand name to create an online service to rival Netflix.

Although Dish Network technically has until May 5 to make its purchase official, the $320 million acquisition is expected to close on Thursday.

[Vendome]

Lackluster, in my town, has been gone for some two months.

Can’t say I miss them.

I prefer to download a movie from them or Netflix and “get around” to watching them.

[TheDingoAteMyBaby]

I share some of those sentiments as well. I’ve seen groups of young friends in Blockbuster talking about the movies they loved or hated. I saw teens at Barnes & Noble dressed up as characters from Twilight as part of a release party for one of the books. The kids aren’t going to have those same memories downloading an e-book or movie all by themselves in their bedrooms.