|
NETFLIX Free Resources
Blockbuster's Raskopf do...
Blockbuster's Raskopf downplayed the importance of Netflix, but she said that it is something the company monitors. Video on demand is still a long time coming, she said, and for now doesnt even make a dent in the packaged media business, a $23 billion-a-year industry for movie rentals and sales. In addition, she said the program may threaten cable companies because customers could see this as a viable alternative to cable fees.
"VOD is further off than we thought it was. We keep monitoring all this stuff, and when it looks like a sustainable profitable model, we can get into these things," Raskopf said.
Blockbuster even tested a video-on-demand service, but it failed after the costs ran too high.
Blockbuster's latest program lets customers subscribe for a single month or sign up to have their credit card charged monthly for as long as they'd like.
The company confirmed the test in New York and Phoenix, but would not name the other two cities. A call to local Blockbusters in Seattle and Houston revealed that the company is offering DVD Subscription Pass in those areas. For $22.99, customers in Seattle can rent unlimited DVDs, two at a time, as long as they allow Blockbuster to automatically charge their credit card every month. It costs $24.99 per month without the automatic debit.
|
