Blockbuster Stores Closing Nationwide, Including in Rosemount

Hope you’ve got a video-streaming service: Rosemount’s Blockbuster video rental store is closing.

DISH Network Corp. announced Wednesday that it will close subsidiary Blockbuster’s approximately 300 remaining video stores. The Rosemount store is one of just four stores left in Minnesota following earlier closures.

“This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” a news release quoted Joseph P. Clayton, DISH president and chief executive officer. “Despite our closing of the physical distribution elements of the business, we continue to see value in the Blockbuster brand, and we expect to leverage that brand as we continue to expand our digital offerings.”

The stores and mail DVD distribution operations should stop by early-January 2014.

The Blockbuster brand will live on through its extensive video library. DISH will continue to provide Blockbuster @Home service to DISH customers and Blockbuster On Demand streaming service to the general public.