Ancient Blockbuster tweet goes viral following decline in Netflix users

A tweet from the now-defunct video rental store Blockbuster has gone viral following Netflix’s decline in users.

Netflix has remained a titan in the on-demand streaming industry for several years now. With a mix of popular TV shows and movies, to a growing catalog of quality original content, it’s hard to find a household without access to Netflix.

However, Netflix has made some critical choices as of late that have netted negative responses. Once again raising the price of a monthly subscription, discontinuing account sharing, and teasing the idea of ads has platform users upset.

In a statement from Netflix, the streaming service has lost 200,000 customers in the first quarter of 2022. This is the first time since 2011 the company has reported a net loss in subscribers.

Blockbuster tweet goes viral as Netflix sees decline

The loss of subscribers in 2011 could have been caused by a tweet from their then-rival Blockbuster which stated, “Tweet why you’re leaving Netflix. The top three most creative tweets using #GoodbyeNetflix will win a 1-year subscription to Blockbuster!”

• Read More: Dr Disrespect explains why streaming beats TV – and wants a Netflix show

Of course, brick-and-mortar Blockbuster stores haven’t been in business since closing their doors in 2014. But that hasn’t stopped users from returning to this tweet over the years to poke fun at Netflix.

However, the tweet recently went viral with thousands of quote retweets after Netflix announced ads would be coming to the platform. Having been an ad-free platform since its inception, subscribers are very vocal about their adversity to this change.

The replies and retweets are filled with users asking if it’s too late to enter the competition. Others have responded with the hashtag #GoodbyeNetflix with their legitimate complaints about the platform.

Of course, with over 200k users leaving the platform and market shares dipping lower than they have since 2018, Netflix is trying to plug holes before the ship sinks.

There’s also more competition in the on-demand streaming industry than there ever has been. So, while it’s sad to see the grandfather of digital streaming buckle at the knees, the options make it easier than ever for users to say #GoodbyeNetflix.