In the 80s when video stores were a thing, the major studios didn't start their own stores

[Yavin4]

and stock each store with only their licensed shows and movies. There wasn't a Disney video store and Paramount store and a Warner Brothers store...etc.

All the studios licensed their movies to Blockbuster, Tower, or some other random video store. You could visit one or two stores and find what you needed.

I think that the rush to each studio starting their own streaming service was a mistake.

[RockRaven]

1. A long way back the studios owned their own movie theaters, IIRC...

I don't think they abandoned that willingly. I don't recall the details.

Definitely not optimal for consumers, that's for sure.

[FirstLight]

2. That's a HUGE point....

it also allowed for smaller little video stores to thrive in more remote areas. Even areas that didn't have a movie theater or ran so few movies they couldnt go for more then a week.

yet another example of how the conglomerations have just ruined it for the little guy