Blockbuster's acquisition of Movielink makes it a bit late to the IP VOD party, but we get the feeling the goal isn't so much to break new ground as it is to plant their feet more firmly in their showdown-to-the-death with Netflix.

In the deal, Blockbuster also picked up the rights to show flicks owned by Movielink's now-former owners, which include Warner Bros., MGM, and Paramount, giving it something of a leg up on Netflix's service, which has a slightly limited selection.

The war's only going to get uglier until it gets better, and by better, we mean when Netflix rolls out that set-top box we've been drooling over for God knows how long. [NYT]

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