AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Rejected Buyout Despite Bringing The Offer
- John Antioco brought Reed Hastings' buyout offer to Blockbuster's board but planned to reject it privately.
- Antioco hoped Netflix would 'wither and die' rather than be sold to Blockbuster.
Scale Was Necessary To Stop Losses
- Blockbuster needed five million subscribers to break even because in-store swaps were costly.
- Growth momentum mattered more than an immediate sale at that point for Antioco's strategy.
Blockbuster Copied Netflix's Model
- Blockbuster launched a near-identical website that copied Netflix's interface and pricing and used coupons to lure customers.
- Evangelist's team even sent spies into Netflix distribution centers to study operations.