Following Netflix’s third price hike in a year, a group of fed-up seniors from Drexel University’s Close School of Entrepreneurship haves exclusively shared their plans to start their own streaming platform. Quick to pre-empt skepticism about the redundancy of what might seem like just another drop in the ocean of streaming, the group revealed that they plan to revamp the beloved Blockbuster franchise into a streaming platform.
While admitting that the idea initially seemed far-fetched to his groupmates, the student who proposed it (and requested to remain anonymous “for the time being”) pointed out that the last remaining Blockbuster store in the world, located in Bend, Oregon, still operates with a license from Dish Network.
“I even considered opening an actual Blockbuster store right here on Drexel’s campus,” the student shared. However, he noted that his friends were quick to strike down this idea. “At first I was a bit hurt that they weren’t taking me seriously when I explained how I really believe that physical media is going to see a massive resurgence soon. Then I realized that the bigger reason was just that they found it even more far-fetched to expect Drexel to give us space for a store. I can’t really argue with that.”
While the group is aware that licensing fees to be able to use the Blockbuster trademark would be high, the student expressed confidence that the group could “make it work” by pooling in their earnings from co-ops. “I mean, if we can pay Drexel’s tuition fees, then this is nothing!”
A question that arises is: what will stream on this platform? The student acknowledges that major film studios already have deals with platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. However, the group is betting on the nostalgia factor to pull these studios to the Blockbuster platform once their existing content licenses expire. “In the meantime, we plan to launch our platform as the exclusive streaming partner for only the finest senior projects to come out of Drexel’s Film & Television Department.”
A few emails to Dish have yet to receive responses, but the group remains hopeful. “Nobody took Netflix seriously during Blockbuster’s peak, but look how the tables turned! Who’s to say we can’t flip them back around? People might call us overzealous, but Drexel students know better than anyone that ambition can’t wait.”