Blockbuster's printed coupons and package deals simplified movie and game buying for customers and fueled store traffic. After bankruptcy and the rise of streaming, most Blockbuster stores closed and coupons gave way to digital bundles and subscription promotions. To capture comparable savings today, compare streaming and game-service bundles, follow promo channels, use deal trackers and time purchases for major sale events.
How Blockbuster used coupons
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Blockbuster built part of its appeal on coupons and package deals. Stores bundled short-term movie rentals, purchases and game rentals into low-cost packages to meet common customer needs. Those printed coupons and flyer offers drove foot traffic, rewarded repeat customers and made Blockbuster an easy one-stop option for home entertainment.
Why those deals mattered
Package deals simplified choices: customers got a handful of rentals or a rental-plus-purchase discount rather than hunting for individual titles. For Blockbuster, bundles increased basket size and encouraged repeat visits. The mix of rentals, sales and game offers reflected how many households consumed entertainment: movies and video games together.
The landscape changed
Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and Dish Network acquired the brand and most assets in 2011. Over the following years most corporate stores closed; a single franchise store in Bend, Oregon has continued operating and become a nostalgic outpost. The physical-coupon era faded as streaming and digital rentals replaced many in-store transactions.
Where comparable savings live today
The core idea of the coupon - getting more value by buying a package - survives, but the form has changed. Look for similar savings in:
- Subscription bundles: Streaming platforms often bundle services (or offer promo periods) so you get multiple titles for a monthly fee. Game subscription services package large libraries for one price.
- Digital rental marketplaces: Online stores and platforms sometimes discount rental bundles or run temporary promotions around holidays and new releases.
- Retail and card offers: Physical retailers still promote discounts on DVDs/Blu-rays and boxed sets; credit-card or payment apps occasionally include entertainment discounts or cashback offers.
- Local promotions: Independent stores and the remaining Blockbuster franchise may run special events or nostalgic promotions that echo the old coupon deals.
How to find the best deals now
- Subscribe to mailing lists and follow service social channels for flash promotions.
- Compare bundle value (monthly cost vs. what you watch/play). 3. Use aggregated deal sites or apps that track promotions across streaming and digital stores. 4. Time larger purchases for major sale periods (Black Friday, holiday sales) when bundles and box sets commonly drop in price.
The takeaway
The mechanics have moved from paper coupons at the counter to digital bundles and subscription promos online, but the principle remains: package deals give buyers predictable, often lower-cost access to entertainment. Where Blockbuster's coupons once delivered that value in store, today's savings come from comparing bundles, watching for promos and choosing the package that matches your viewing habits.