Blockbuster rolls out iOS app
The former movie rental giant, which was acquired by Dish in 2011, brings its on-demand movie rental service to iOS.
Dish Network on Thursday launched its Blockbuster On Demand app for iOS devices with pre-purchase movie rentals from its online library.
The app had already been available since January for desktop computers, Samsung Smart TVs, and Android devices, but today the movie watching app is finally available for iOS.
Like its desktop counterpart, Blockbuster On Demand lets iPhone and iPad users browse, rent, and stream movies from its On Demand catalog, featuring almost 5,500 movies that include new releases as well as titles across several genres. The app also provides movie ratings courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes, and lets you filter movie searches by rating.
The service offers digital rentals you'll need to purchase before watching. Pricing goes from $2.99 all the way up to $6.99 for new releases. Users who want to rent movies through the service will need to sign up for a free account in the app or by visiting the Blockbuster On Demand Web site.
Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and was subsequently bought by Dish Network in 2011. Now a subsidiary of Dish Network, the Blockbuster On Demand app will need to compete with better established services like Netflix and Redbox in order to stake out a claim in the industry it once dominated.