Dish Network to keep about 600 Blockbuster stores open

Don't count your corner Blockbuster store out quite yet.

The struggling rental chain's soon-to-be owner, Dish Network, filed documents with Bankruptcy Court over the weekend listing certain stores it intends to keep open. They total about 600, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News.

The company currently operates 1,751 U.S. stores, most of which are expected to be shuttered under Dish Network. The Wall Street Journal reported that the current number of store leases that won't be picked up by Blockbuster's new owners is now close to 1,000.

In its heyday, Blockbuster operated more than 4,000 stores.

Dish Network has yet to reveal the fate of every store or the exact number it plans to operate. However, people familiar with the situation have said the satellite TV provider intends to keep some retail footprint and also use Blockbuster's brands and assets to create an online operation to compete with Netflix.

Dish's $320-million acquisition of Blockbuster is expected to close Thursday.

-- Ben Fritz

Related:

Dish Network to acquire Blockbuster for $320 million

Comments

[nonnativeangeleno]

Ah, so it seems Dish Network didn't learn from, y'know, *Blockbuster*.

[Scott]

Blockbuster sucks, they've always sucked, and they'll continue to suck. Never understood why anyone who enjoys movies would support a crappy movie rental chain that only ever cared about money and never movies. DishNetwork is just more of the same. I remember when cable was supposed to offer a commercial free movie experience. Not anymore. The movies are interrupted by ad bugs constantly. The credits roll at super speed on half the screen, if they roll at all. There's not a premium channel left which runs a movie from beginning to end without any ads

[MIKE NOWAK]

I BELONG TO DISH NETWORK. I REC'D A BLOCKBUSTER GIFT CERTIFICATE AT X-MAS NOW ALL OUR STORS HAVE CLOSED CAN WE USE THIS CERTIFICATE SOMEHOW?

[David Gorski]

After being told they would not honor my $25 gift card, I am not pleased with either Blockbuster or Dish Network. The main reason is the stores are still open and they took our hard earned money. I will never use Blockbuster or Dish Network and inform everyone I know of these tactics. I have already cancelled my dad's dish network account. If anyone has lost money for gift cards to either company, because they have no honor and are not concerned about the consumer.