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Blockbuster’s rise and fall has become a regularly cited cautionary tale about the importance of respecting your competitors — in Blockbuster’s case, a web-based video-by-mail startup called Netflix — but it is also an instructive reminder that the size of a franchise network does not always correlate to long-term viability.&nbsp;That second lesson is demonstrated elegantly in a videographic from V1 Analytics, which uses data from Blockbuster’s public financial reporting to show the franchise’s massive expansion throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s and its precipitous collapse in the second half of the 2000s.&nbsp;<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://youtu.be/vgzqDCt4D1w"></oembed></figure>Today, a single franchisee-owned Blockbuster location continues to operate in Portland —&nbsp;down from 5,734 units at the franchise’s height.&nbsp;While the rise of Netflix is typically blamed for the death of the brick-and-mortar video-rental industry at large, it’s worth noting that Family Video, a relatively small competitor to Blockbuster in the ‘90s and ‘00s, is still operating more than 700 units, suggesting that Blockbuster’s demise cannot be attributed entirely to external factors.

Charting the Rise and Fall of Blockbuster in One Videographic

1851 Franchise

The iconic video-rental franchise grew fast and fell apart even faster.

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Right at Home

Right at Home Franchise - Q3 2025 Momentum - 1851 Franchise

Right at Home Continues Momentum as It Closes Out the Third Quarter and Looks Ahead To Hit Its Annual Signings and Openings Goal by the End of the Year

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DoodyCalls

Why This Former Fitness Pro Turned Dad Found His Perfect Franchise Fit in DoodyCalls

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Express Employment Professionals

Shaping the Future of Work: Melissa Davis Leads the Charge in Express Employment Franchising

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Caring Transitions

The Benefits of Buying an Existing Caring Transitions Territory vs. Starting From Scratch

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petbar

petbar Franchise - Marc Hildebrand - Nicole Baptiste - San Antonio - 1851 Franchise

Spreading Bark-Side Joy: How Nicole and Marc Bring Trust and Canine Bliss to San Antonio

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Charting the Rise and Fall of Blockbuster in One Videographic

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