Though Blockbuster moved into the streaming space years ago, it’s now making a push for a unified, cross-platform online rental service. A redesigned version of Blockbuster On Demand has showed up on Android, with versions also available for Samsung smart TVs, Roku, Mac OS X, and Windows — though not iOS. The app offers about 4,000 movies to rent in 24-hour increments for between $2.99 and $4.99; HD rentals occupy the high end of that range and can only be watched on TVs.
Blockbuster redesigns streaming rental service with focus on building a cross-platform store
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
Blockbuster On Demand isn’t a new service, but it now looks more like a real platform in its own right, rather than an extension of Blockbuster’s traditional (and struggling) storefront business. While its blue-and-yellow icon is the same as ever, the rest of the pink-and-black palette recalls Microsoft’s old Zune store. What’s not changing is the business model: Blockbuster doesn’t appear to be offering a subscription service through On Demand. While that takes it out of competition with services like Netflix, though, the company is still operating in a space that’s already occupied by iTunes, Amazon, and others.
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