Netflix on smart contracts or an attempt to resurrect a dead brand �

In December 2021, a plan went viral on crypto Twitter: “Let’s buy Blockbuster and turn it into the first decentralized streaming service”

Blockbuster was once a giant of video rentals with thousands of stores worldwide. But the digital era and Netflix killed the brand, leaving the rights in the hands of Dish Network

The community set out to raise $5M through the $BLKBSTER token to acquire the trademark. The goal wasn’t just to revive a brand, but to build a “decentralized Netflix” — a DAO that decides which films to fund, how to split revenue, and what content gets on the platform

Writer Ben Mezrich (author of The Social Network, the book behind the Facebook* movie) joined the hype, calling BlockbusterDAO “the perfect Web3 story”. That sent interest soaring: within weeks, more than 40,000 people had joined the Discord

Dish Network, however, refused to even discuss selling the brand. BlockbusterDAO never materialized, but it went down in history as another example of DAOs rallying people around wild ideas — from buying the U.S. Constitution to reviving Blockbuster!