Sadly (but probably wisely) it's all but impossible to invest in the long-dead video rental legend Blockbuster... That's barring a miraculous repeat of the 2020/2021 frenzy of interest.
Blockbuster bit the dust back in 2010 – filing for bankruptcy after consumers stopped heading out to rent physical DVDs in favour of streaming from the comfort of their homes. What remains of Blockbuster, aside from that old card in the back of your drawer, is a couple of zombie tickers for liquidation/trust remnants – with next-to-no liquidity (i.e. nobody trades them).
BB Liquidating (BLIAQ) is an example, and interest in its stock surged in 2020/2021 following threads on social media channels including Reddit. The Blockbuster mania was like a side-meme to the broader GameStop mania. Kids, eh?
In theory that could happen again – lightning could strike twice. Stranger things have happened… I just can’t think of any right now. But it’s crucial to be aware that there’s no real underlying company to speculate on… no revenue, no profit, no staff, no service. A bunch of Redditors decided to pile into a zombie ticker for a laugh, and then everyone lost interest. A light-hearted pump-and-dump.
And so as such, most trading platforms don’t support trading shares in BLIAQ or BLIBQ. I’m checking Trading 212 and eToro as I write, and….. nada. Soz.
Can we interest you in a little Netflix, Sir/Madam?
There aren’t really any stocks like Blockbuster… I mean, how many video rental stores can you name? But there are modern equivalents – see the table below. Google’s in the mix representing YouTube – arguably the largest source of video consumption globally. But bear in mind the fortunes of most of these companies is about more than just how many Friday-night-movie-watchers use their specific service.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
There are of course other nostalgia meme stocks too, and for that you might want to head over to r/wallstreetbets or r/WallStreetbetsELITE – which is where the 2020/2021 saga all began.
Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more.
See full bio
Chris's expertise
Chris
has written
521
Finder guides across topics including:
You can buy Reddit shares in just a few minutes by using an online share dealing platform. Our table lets you compare the UK’s leading trading apps to buy Reddit stock.
Learn more about AMC Entertainment’s recent performance and where you can invest in AMC shares. We also run through some helpful rules of thumb for any investor.
If you’re considering buying Roblox shares but you don’t know where to start, here’s a handy guide to the company, plus live share prices and key info.
If you’re considering buying Hybe (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) shares but you don’t know where to start, here’s a handy guide to the company, plus live share prices and key info.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Take-Two Interactive? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Take-Two Interactive.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Games Workshop? We explain how you can invest along with some top investing platforms for buying stock in Games Workshop.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Walt Disney? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Walt Disney.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Netflix? We explain how to invest in the streaming giant by investing in Netflix stock using popular UK trading platforms and apps.
Advertiser disclosure
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
