On March 25, 2005, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its ratings for Blockbuster Inc., including the 'BB' corporate credit rating, and removed them from CreditWatch, where they were placed with negative implications on Nov. 11, 2004. The outlook is stable. This action follows the company's announcement that it has decided not to extend its offer to purchase its closest competitor, Hollywood Entertainment Corp. (B+/Watch Dev/--), for approximately $1.3 billion, thereby effectively abandoning its bid to make the acquisition. Blockbuster is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with approximately 8,900 stores throughout the Americas, Asia, and Australia. It is the No. 1 player in the mature and fragmented $8.2 billion U.S. video rental market. Ratings reflect
