Blockbuster Launching Netflix Rival

A new contender is emerging in the streaming-content wars: Old standby Blockbuster appears set to launch a new streaming video service tomorrow. Right now, the Dish Network-owned company offers pay-per-view on-demand service, but it could make a big splash with its own unlimited-streaming plan, CNNMoney notes. So what does all this mean for customers? Even more confusion, writes Julianne Pepitone.

Let’s say you’re after current-season TV episodes; you might head to Hulu. “But wait! If it's a CBS show, you're out of luck—Hulu doesn't have US rights to those,” Pepitone notes. And Netflix has only a few of them. Maybe Amazon? More piecemeal offers. The trouble for consumers is that “the studios' business philosophy is to work with multiple outlets, don't let any single one gain strength, and carve up the space,” notes a consultant. “It's in their interest for things to remain confusing, and that's how it will be for a long time to come.” (More Blockbuster stories.)