Blockbuster: Preserved 19,000 Jobs & Continuity

From 2007 to 2011 Keyes served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI). Keyes’ goal was to establish Blockbuster as the leader in the then-nascent streaming video market. But that plan was cut short by the financial market collapse of 2008 (and its abrupt shifts in the debt market).

Out of that crisis, Keyes led a restructuring of the company and the successful sale of assets to Dish Networks, preserving over 19,000 jobs and providing continuity for the Blockbuster brand, its customers and its suppliers. In April 2020, he wrote about the experience for Columbia Business School’s Ethics and Leadership News: Three Lessons Learned While Leading Through Crises.

Innovation: Acquired MovieLink, the first steaming video company.

Total Access: Completed full consumer offering for media entertainment: In Store, By-Mail, Kiosk, and Streaming Video.

Financial: Helped the company survive 2008 financial market collapse though successful restructuring and sale to Dish Networks.

Diversified the company’s offerings to meet changes in the marketplace.

• Expanded customers access to products on multiple platforms.

• Restructured and sold the company, preserving over 19,000 jobs during an economic crisis.

• Provided continuity for the Blockbuster brand, its customers and its suppliers.