Dish Network reportedly plans to begin selling mobile phones out of Blockbuster's brick-and-mortar stores. Even more shocking, Blockbuster still has brick-and-mortar stores.
Blockbuster had recently started selling phones on its website under the name "Blockbuster Mobile," partnering with Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile amongst other carriers. The online venture must have been somewhat successful since, according to Bloomberg's two unnamed sources, the products will soon shift to Blockbuster's 850 retail locations.
Dish Network has been planning since April of last year to sell mobile phones through Blockbuster, and this may likely be the satellite-TV provider's next step on its way to offering its own mobile phone service. They seem to be well on their way, already having acquired an arsenal of wireless airwaves awaiting guidelines from the Federal Communications Commission.
Though even FCC permitting, any mobile offering from Dish will be up against some fierce competition. AT&T and Verizon control over half the US market. And the mobile giants' combined 4,000 stores will certainly cast a heavy shadow over Blockbuster's remaining video-stores-that-could. [Bloomberg]