Blockbuster Makes An Offer You May Not Be Able to Refuse

Hacking Netflix broke the news late last night and it appears to be true; the official confirmation came this afternoon.

Blockbuster Online has doubled the number of free in-store rental coupons given to its subscribers. Effective immediately, subscribers to the online DVD rental service will receive one free in store rental coupon a week, rather than two a month.

The offer applies to new and existing subscribers and will be widely promoted beginning Sunday with a commercial during both the pre- and post-game shows of the Super Bowl broadcast on ABC.

With Blockbuster Online having unlimited rental plans as low as $9.99 (for one DVD out at a time) and with the ability to choose four additional DVDs a month at no extra charge through their retail locations, do they now represent the best overall value in online DVD rental?

What do you think?

Are you already a happy camper with Blockbuster and is this sweetened deal just icing on the cake for you?

If you're not a subscriber, will this be the deal that sets you over the top and gets you to try online rental for the first time or shifts your loyalty away from Netflix to Blockbuster?

Or could they literally give away the store and it wouldn't make one bit of difference?

[Previously: Blockbuster CEO Aims For 2 Million Subs, CSM Looks at Movies by Mail]
[Previously: Slate Slays Blockbuster, Netflix and Blockbuster: Trading Places]

Press Release follows after the jump.

------------------------------

Check prices of new DVD releases at your favorite online merchants:

Amazon l Barnes & Noble l Buy.com l DVD Empire l DVDPlanet l eBay l Half.com l Video Universe l Target l Wal-Mart

------------------------------

BLOCKBUSTER Online® Doubles Free Rents

New, Improved Offer Gives Subscribers One Free In-Store Movie Rental Every Week

DALLAS, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Effective immediately, BLOCKBUSTER Online® has doubled the number of free in-store rentals subscribers receive each month.

BLOCKBUSTER Online subscribers now get one free in-store movie rental every week, an increase over the two per month currently offered, along with unlimited online rentals, with subscription programs starting as low as $9.99 per month for the one-movie-out at a time plan.

"We know BLOCKBUSTER Online customers love the value and flexibility the free in-store movie rentals offer, so we decided to give them even more," said Shane Evangelist, senior vice president and general manager of BLOCKBUSTER Online. "Now, if subscribers use all four free monthly in-store rentals, the value they receive almost equals the $17.99 monthly fee for our three-out- movie plan."

BLOCKBUSTER Online allows customers to pay one low monthly fee to rent DVDs online and have them sent directly to their home by mail with no return dates or extended viewing fees. There are several rental plans, with the $17.99 three-movie-out plan being the most popular. Each rental plan includes monthly free in-store movie rentals and access to a library of more than 50,000 titles.

To promote the improved value, BLOCKBUSTER Online plans to launch a national advertising campaign during pre- and post-game segments of the Super Bowl.

"The Super Bowl presented a great opportunity for us to reach an enormous audience with news of BLOCKBUSTER Online's expanded in-store benefits," Evangelist said. "With our free weekly in-store rentals, extensive title library, convenient service and low monthly fees, we believe BLOCKBUSTER Online is the best movie rental deal around, and we want consumers to know about it."

All new and existing BLOCKBUSTER Online subscribers are eligible to receive the weekly in-store rental benefits. Visit blockbuster.com or a local BLOCKBUSTER store for complete details on the free in-store rentals and the BLOCKBUSTER Online service.