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April 30, 2025
Andre Blay Made Netflix and Blockbuster Possible
Reading Netflixed, I learned about an entrepreneur I’d never heard of. His name was Andre Blay. He was the man who created the market for VHS tapes and a multibillion-dollar industry, VHS rentals. That industry birthed tens of thousands of video rental entrepreneurs and led to the creation of Blockbuster Video. And he did all that in a few short years.
I want to learn more about him and how his vision led to a multibillion-dollar industry. He wrote a memoir that’s nearly impossible to find at a reasonable price, but I’m determined to get a copy. When I do, I’ll share what I learn.
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Connected Books

Netflixed
April 2025
A biography of Netflix, from inception through 2011. Details the epic battle with Blockbuster and how Netflix almost lost. Describes the strategy and decisions behind the transition from DVD rentals to streaming.
Blockbuster's board members helped Netflix win their battle. Read 2012 hardcover.

Pre-Recorded History
May 2025
The biography of Andre Blay, the entrepreneur who pioneered home video and laid the foundation for Blockbuster, Netflix, and the home movie industry. This book explores how he launched the market for selling and distributing movies on VHS, ultimately spawning a multi-billion-dollar rental economy and tens of thousands of video store entrepreneurs. It also examines the history of movie distribution and how Blay’s innovations reshaped Hollywood’s business model and consumer habits forever.
History lesson on movie distribution. Describes how new technology changed distribution and created a massive new market. Blay saw the future early. Clear parallels to Ted Turner, who used cable and satellite to do something similar around the same time. Hard to find book, email me for tips.