My favorite childhood memories come from standing in a Blockbuster line on a Friday night. I'd dance around with ants in my pants ready to watch the movies my parents and I hunted down for what seemed like hours through endless aisles of DVDs and VHS tapes. As technology would have it, begging my mom for a candy bar in a checkout line would turn into finishing the home popped popcorn before scrolling and choosing a movie as DVDs turned into a one-second icon tap.
Back then renting a DVD would cost about $8, roughly the price of a monthly subscription on Netflix or Disney Plus. Something to add on is that movie businesses like Blockbuster would make a pretty penny on late fees. In some cases, a late fee would turn into a purchase fee if not returned in a certain amount of time. I think that one of the best parts about streaming services is that the price of a subscription, although it may sound high, is relatively cheap considering the bingewatching culture it's created. Some people have records of finishing multiple show seasons in a weekend, while others watch movie collections in an afternoon.
In short, DVDs created business for movie rental businesses like Blockbuster, and a expensive Friday night. Netflix streaming, and other streaming services, created a cheaper and easier way to watch hundreds of shows and movies.
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