Dish Network Corp plans to keep open more than 90 percent of the Blockbuster stores it acquired in its $320 million deal for the video rental chain.
Dish, the second-largest U.S. satellite TV company, said it reached agreements with property owners allowing it to continue running more than 1,500 stories.
In addition, it will retain more than 15,000 employees.
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Dish Network won Blockbuster in an April bankruptcy auction, further broadening its business beyond satellite TV and setting up a possible showdown with Netflix.
Last week, Blockbuster unveiled new DVD and video games by mail plans aimed at Netflix customers fed up with price increases.
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When Dish acquired Blockbuster, the deal included more than 1,700 movie rental stores. Blockbuster entered bankruptcy with about 3,000 stores, but closed roughly half of them during the process.
Mail-order and digital competitors have steadily eaten into Blockbuster's business, which at its peak in 2002 had a market value of $5 billion.














