Hawdilly: Dish hypes Blockbuster Movie Pass in subscriber acquisition campaign

Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) launched a humorous marketing campaign featuring cowboys in oversized hats touting its new Blockbuster Movie Pass online video service.

Hawdilly: Dish passes the hat for new subscribers

"You hear about Dish Network's new Blockbuster Movie Pass? They say it can deliver over 100,000 TV shows and games right to your door," one cowboy tells another in the commercial, which is set in a diner. "I hear you can stream thousands of movies and TV shows to your computer," he responds. A third cowboy, wearing a hat so large that he can't fit through the door of the diner, chimes in with, "You hear the best part? It's all included when you sign up for Dish. Hawdilly!"

Dish launched a new Website, Hawdilly.com, where consumers can view the new commercials, and enter a sweepstakes in which they can win a new TV and a free subscription to its pay TV service. The company registered the site on Sept. 26, according to the Network Solutions database.

The Hawdilly campaign marks Dish's biggest effort yet to use its $320 million acquisition of Blockbuster to bolster the marketing of its satellite TV programming packages. The company is offering new customers three free months of access to Blockbuster Movie Pass, and charging existing customers $9.99 monthly for access to the service.

Dish is relying on the Hawdilly campaign and other marketing efforts to improve subscriber retention and acquisition. The company lost 135,000 subscribers during the second quarter, ending the period with 14.05 million subscribers.

For more:
- see two new Dish commercials

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