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When I was growing up, every Friday, my parents would take me to a video store, Blockbuster, Family Video, Hollywood Videos, or some other variation to pick out a VHS or DVD. My sister and I would walk each aisle for a new release or some trendy movie. If we were unlucky, there would be no video behind the case to rent. Although we may be disappointed in our choice, we inevitably would agree on a movie and move toward the checkout counter. We eyed the candy and begged my parents to buy us some. Of course, it was always a no unless we could use the reward points to get some free candy. Over time, this became one of my most fond weekend traditions. As I grew older, the weekend trips to Blockbuster became less and less; some years later, all those stores would file for bankruptcy and close.

There are different theories on why retail video rental chain stores have closed over the years, but Netflix and the rise of streaming are primarily to blame. In 2025, many services-based industries have a monthly subscription option for customers. In the 1990s, this was a relatively new concept. Originally established in 1997 as a monthly subscription DVD service, Netflix got a slow start. Netflix’s first customers could pay as little as $7.99 to have one DVD mailed to them at a time. At the time, it was a revolutionary idea that Netflix advertised to the world as a way to rent DVDs and avoid the dreaded late fee.

In 2010, Netflix developed a new streaming service that offered its customers the option to stream movies and TV shows online through its database. In the very early stages of Netflix’s streaming service, Netflix did not make its content and hardly had any new releases. The company would compete against retail DVD stores and the up-and-coming Redbox with those coveted new releases.
A couple of years later, Netflix released its first original content. While many think it’s House of Cards, it was a different TV series, Lilyhammer. Lilyhammer starred Steven Van Zandt as an ex-gangster who goes into witness protection. The show lasted three seasons and has a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. By those numbers, many would consider the show a success, but it did little to convince people to flock to subscribe to Netflix’s streaming services.
A year later, Netflix’s first produced original TV series, House of Cards, was released. The moment I knew Netflix was on the path of being a major producer of compelling content was in season 2, episode 1 of House of Cards, when Kevin Spacey’s character pushed Kata Mara in front of a moving subway train. It was all anyone in my friend group and Twitter, not X yet, could talk about. It was shocking but not cheap. Her death was substantial and wasn’t just used as a plot device to move on from the last season. Eventually, the success of House of Cards and later originally produced content led to an increase in Netflix’s subscription services.

Arguably, the most significant catalyst that killed the remaining retail DVD rental stores and may have become the ultimate end to movie theaters was COVID-19. In the early months of COVID-19, Netflix added over 16 million subscribers. While the world was on lockdown, Netflix became a literal verb. It wasn’t long after other networks and companies started miming Netflix’s business model, launched their streaming-based services, and mass-produced original content. Disney, HBO, and Amazon Prime were just a few jumping in the streaming rat race, but Amazon is still the king of streaming.

Netflix remains my go-to streaming App for discovering new content and watching old content—the good, the bad, the cliché, the disturbingly popular serial killer documentaries, and everything in between. Now, if they could just join forces with Amazon Fresh so I could get food delivered with my weekend Netflix, they would really be the best.

Love it or hate it, Netflix does control a significant portion of the streaming market, and it only made sense to dedicate an entire web page to all things Netflix. So, if you’ve ever wondered about the logistics and history or just want to get the most accurate and brutally honest opinion of any show or movie on Netflix, keep coming back to NetflixTimes.com!

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