Dish Network Planning It’s Next Blockbuster Move

File this one firmly in the rumor category for now, but with a strong dash of it’s only a matter of time. Evidently Dish Network is preparing to unveil a Netflix-style streaming service under the Blockbuster brand.

Dish bought up Blockbuster’s assets earlier this year. At the time, I was skeptical about Dish being able to do anything with the Blockbuster brand, and the jury is definitely still out on the financial success of the purchase, but Dish has not let the Blockbuster assets languish. Dish has been changing the layout of the stores to add Dish Network salespeople and demos, pushing hard with the Blockbuster mail-order service to capitalize on the Netflix price increases, and the Blockbuster Blog has dropped some not-too-subtle hints that some sort of streaming service was in the works.

Now rumor has it that Blockbuster’s streaming service will be formally announced next month, and to add insult to injury for Netflix, with Starz in tow. Question is, can Dish get the pricing right and get the device adoption that has helped turn Netflix into such a juggernaut?

The new service may also include on-demand Blockbuster movies that Dish satellite customers can watch on television sets, the person said. Blockbuster may offer the streaming service in conjunction with its mail-order and in-store DVD rentals.

 Bloomberg