Before streaming changed everything, one logo ruled the American weekend: Blockbuster Video. With its bright aisles and endless rows of tapes, Blockbuster turned movie renting into a national ritual — and quietly crushed thousands of local video shops in the process. By the 1990s, it had over 9,000 stores worldwide, renting 100 million tapes a week.

But when Netflix came knocking with a new digital model, Blockbuster laughed — and sealed its fate. In this episode, we trace the rise, domination, and downfall of America’s forgotten video giant, exploring what remains of its abandoned stores across the country and why one last Blockbuster in Oregon still survives as a living museum of 1999.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices