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[DMczaf]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041111/ap_on_bi_ge/blockbuster_hollywood_entertainment

DALLAS - Blockbuster Inc., facing new attacks from big retailers and online operators, has offered $700 million for rival Hollywood Entertainment Corp. in a bid to combine the two biggest players in the movie-rental industry.

Blockbuster, the biggest in movie rentals, said Thursday that it had communicated its interest to No. 2 Hollywood Entertainment but that there have been no substantive talks on terms of a deal.

Hollywood Entertainment is already in a deal to let its chairman and chief executive and a buyout firm take the company private. The agreement, however, allowed Hollywood to solicit other bids, and the CEO said he welcomed Blockbuster's offer

 

[etiolate]

blah!

 

[Matlock]

Only $700 million? Jeez, the video rental induestry must be further in the crapper than I'd realized.

 

[Manabanana]

Then they could merge with Time Warner/AOL/Earthlink!

 

[3phemeral]

Only $700 million? Jeez, the video rental induestry must be further in the crapper than I'd realized.

Well, I assume that Hollywood Video's given price tag amount is so small because they're that much further away from Blockbuster when it comes to total net worth. Hollywood videos are decently spread across here in socal, but I've honestly only seen a few while driving. Blockbusters, on the other hand, are so common that I rarely even think about how many times I've seen them. We have 4 here, all within 5-10 minutes of each other. There's only one Hollywood video that's 20 minutes away. With the way Blockbuster's been expanding, I don't think it's that bad, it certainly isn't booming like it used to, though.

 

[Minotauro]

Someone with a better knowledge of the law in this country explain to me how this wouldn't be a monopoly? I mean, aside from specialty sections in grocery stores, who else rents movies?

 

[belgurdo]

Someone with a better knowledge of the law in this country explain to me how this wouldn't be a monopoly? I mean, aside from specialty sections in grocery stores, who else rents movies?

Here in Indy we have Movie Gallerys and Family Videos for chains, and tons of mom and pop operations

 

[Matlock]

"Family Video" is a chain, along with mom and pop rental stores.

 

[ge-man]

Someone with a better knowledge of the law in this country explain to me how this wouldn't be a monopoly? I mean, aside from specialty sections in grocery stores, who else rents movies?

I'm not a lawyer, but I assume they will try to make the same argument that was used to justify a merger between directtv and dish network, except they are competing against pay per view and online related video businesses rather than the cable companies.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

I had no idea Hollywood was based out of Wilsonville, OR. I live 30 miles from there.

 

[Dan]

Outside of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, I couldn't name another video rental franchise. I know of a bunch of independents, but yeah, those are the two biggest chains by far. Blockbuster would be pretty damned dominant if this went through.

 

[Trakball]

West Coast Video? I don't think they're around anymore though.

 

[tedtropy]

Blockbuster drove both of the local video stores in my area out of business, and we have maybe one Hollywood video per four Blockbusters. Personally, I've dealt with so much crap out of Blockbuster in the form of phantom fees for videos I've never rented and generally crappy worker attitude that I've made the switch to Netflix. They've never given me any sass, even when our competent postal service lost a few discs and they have way more selection.

 

[Drensch]

Sounds like Antitrust case to me.

 

[Willco]

This sucks, because it means GameCrazy will also go down the shitter like Blockbuster.

 

[etiolate]

Yeah, Gamecrazy is a nice setup and I don't want it replaced by the Blockbuster version.

 

[AlphaSnake]

West Coast Video? I don't think they're around anymore though.

Haha, I always thought there was only one.

 

[GaimeGuy]

First Mr. Movies. Then Video Update. Now Hollywood Video.


weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[LizardKing]

They have family video and mammoth video around her as some competing chains, but family is spread out and mammoth is very local.

 

[Escape Goat]

Here in Indy we have Movie Gallerys and Family Videos for chains, and tons of mom and pop operations

You live in Indianapolis, Belgurdo?

 

[belgurdo]

You live in Indianapolis, Belgurdo?

yup

And never knew Video Update was bought by Blockbuster...they deserved to be. Here they'd always stick them in the ghettoes, meaning that like 90% of their games and most of their top quality movies would end up getting stolen. Plus for some reason they always gave me shit for renting anime (they had a 'for 18 year olds only' warning up above the section for god knows what reason,) but didn't care when I rented softcore Penthouse specials. Lovely place.

 

[xsarien]

Bah. I like HV so much more than Blockbuster. The people who work there are generally a lot better at scanning in returns.

 

[Boogie9IGN]

Fuck, I've owed Blockbuster like $15 for a few years, switched to HV so I wouldn't have to pay it

 

[Escape Goat]

yup

Awesome, which part? I'm up in Muncie with Buddy.


Family Video, Blockbuster and Hollywood are the only ones in Muncie besides the crappy grocery store ones.