Blockbuster Online site downed by system problem

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The online movie rental service operated by Blockbuster Inc was temporarily taken down on Monday after it experienced a "systems" problem, a company spokesman said.

Blockbuster spokesman Randy Hargrove said the outage occurred at about 8:30 a.m. Central Standard Time (9:30 a.m. EST) after hardware failed at an outsource provider.

That provider was working to resolve the issue and expected to have it fixed later on Monday night, Hargrove said.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers," he said.

Shares of Blockbuster closed up 8 cents at $3.50 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Gina Keating, editing by Jeffrey Benkoe/Leslie Gevirtz)