2011-2012 Home Media Research Weekly Sales (Discussion Thread)

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Originally Posted by Bishop_99

The catalog releases from Disney are great. It's good to see another studio releasing so many catalog titles. Hopefully more "good new" like this will come out from the other studios as well.


Although the week was down, it's good to see another 35 million + week for Blu-ray.

It was down in the YoY stats because the comparison week last year was the new to Blu-ray release of Bambi on DVD+BD and BD+DVD combos with the DVD only version delayed so all the Bambi sales counted as Blu-ray units and revenues in the DVD and Blu-ray style combo sets.

I was actually expecting worse.

The new week of 03/10/11 with Immortals and Game of Thorns is looking kinda promising.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

‘Immortals’ Clears 1.2 Million Disc Units

16 Mar, 2012
By: Chris Tribbey


'Immortals'

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has sold more than 1.2 million units of the action-fantasy film Immortals during its first week of release, the studio and Relativity Media announced March 16.

In a positive sign for high-def, 44% of retail disc sales were Blu-ray Disc, and the 3D Blu-ray combo pack accounted for 10%.

“We could not be more proud of Immortals’ performance and appeal as it was a break-out box office hit theatrically worldwide and has also found success in home entertainment” said Tucker Tooley, co-president of Relativity. “The Blu-ray of Immortals truly captures the excitement and drama of [director] Tarsem [Singh’s] gorgeous film.”

Taking in more than $227 million worldwide, the film is Relativity’s highest-grossing film to date as an independent distributor.

The Blu-ray includes an alternate beginning, two alternate endings, deleted scenes, a graphic novel and more.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/res...sc-units-26709

[blueshadow | Kosty]

-'GAME OF THRONES' RULES HBO'S DVD SALES

Lisa Richwine, Reuters
March 16, 2012, 7:13 am

LOST ANGELES, March 15 (Reuters) - HBO's award-winning fantasy drama "Game of Thrones" has earned a new crown: the largest first-week DVD sales among any series in the cable network's history.

Season one DVD sales reached about 350,000 units in the first seven days following its March 6 release, the network said on Thursday. That pace ranks ahead of other popular HBO series including "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City" and "True Blood."

The DVD sales indicate strong interest in "Game of Thrones" ahead of the second season, which starts April 1.

The "Game of Thrones" news comes as HBO battles the backlash from its cancellation of the show "Luck," produced by series star Dustin Hoffman, after the death of a third horse on the show.

"Game of Thrones" tells the story of clashes among seven noble families seeking control of the fictional medieval region of Westeros. The series is derived from the five best-selling novels by George R.R. Martin and became a hit when it debuted last year. The show averaged 9.3 million viewers during its first season, ranking fourth among all series in the network's history.

The series earned critical acclaim and a supporting actor Emmy for Peter Dinklage, who plays the clever but rude Tyrion, among other awards. HBO is a unit of Time Warner.

The program also set an HBO series record for sales of digital downloads from outlets such as iTunesapple, the network said, but it did not provide figures.

"What we are seeing is 'Game of Thrones' being a hit across all platforms-network, disc and digital," said Henry McGee, president of HBO Home Entertainment.

(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Ron Grover and Bob Tourtellotte)

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/w...bos-dvd-sales/




Maybe that's DVD and BD.

If Immortals did around 1.2 million units and 44% overall BD marketshare including Walmart that would seem to calculate out to more total units. We'll know better soon.

But its an expensive box set and had a non Walmart Nielsen Videoscan Blu-ray marketshare of 56.73% so that's a bunch for Blu-ray.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Originally Posted by bruceames

Well I was just giving an example of negative spin, by playing devil's advocate.

I agree that sell-through will be around for a long time, perhaps forever.

Well total OD packaged media sell through will continue to decline over the years as there are just more options available now than there were in the prime of DVD. But its still going to be large for many years to come.

But the studios will always want a sell through option as its higher transaction price, higher margin and higher profit than rentals. Some consumers will always be willing to pay reasonable prices for ownership as well.

So far this year through 10 weeks with OD sell through only being down -1.3% for the year that's pretty much almost stabilizing the sell through attrition from last year to this year. Lot of year yet to go but its a pretty good start.

Still a lot lower than at DVDs peak but keeping that OD attrition moderated and finally having Blu-ray's growth get closer to covering DVDs attrition would be a significant benchmark if it can be sustained throughout the year.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Best Buy Pushes 'John Carter'

13 Mar, 2012
By: John Latchem



Just as John Carter is opening in theaters to lukewarm box office reception, Best Buy is touting a promotion for the Disney film. Consumers who buy a Blu-ray of Remember the Titans or either of the “National Treasure” movies at $14.99 each can get a coupon for $8 off a John Carter admission ticket. The offer expires April 7.

Best Buy also offered a $10 savings with the purchase of the first seasons of “Breakout Kings” and “The Killing,” and triple Reward Zone bonus points with purchase of Paramount’s The Adventures of Tintin Blu-ray or 3D combo packs.

Target had exclusive availability of two Universal shows: Fairly Legal: Season One and In Plain Sight: Season Four, at $25 each. Target also gave away an MP3 audio book (touted as having a $30 value) with copies of Anchor Bay’s My Week With Marilyn ($17 DVD, $23 Blu-ray).

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/age...es-john-carter

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Projections: 'Tintin' Looks to Emerge From Crowded Field

19 Mar, 2012
By: John Latchem



The end of the first quarter of 2012 is starting to get a little crowded on new-release shelves. For the week ending March 18, several new titles are looking to score a huge debut in a crowded field.

The most likely to top the charts is Paramount Home Entertainment's The Adventures of Tintin, the animated adventure from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson that scored north of $77 million in U.S. theaters (and about $374 million worldwide).

However, Oscar-lauded The Descendants, a George Clooney vehicle from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, earned more at the domestic box office, with $81.64 million, and could ride that momentum to a top spot, especially if Happy Feet Two ($64 million) takes family dollars away from Tintin.

With Descendants on a kiosk embargo, Jack and Jill has the edge in the rental market for a second week, probably finishing just ahead of Tintin on the rental chart.

Rank Title Studio Weeks on Chart

Projected Top 3 Sellers for Week Ending 3/18/2012

1 The Adventures of Tintin Paramount New
2 The Descendants Fox New
3 Happy Feet Two Warner New

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/res...ed-field-26701

[blueshadow | Kosty]

WSJ

HEARD ON THE STREET Updated March 18, 2012, 5:51 p.m. ET

Wal-Mart Stores Tries to Play Apple's Game

By JOHN JANNARONE

For years, the technology world's best and brightest innovators have failed to outfox Apple AAPL +2.65% . A new dark horse contender: Wal-Mart Stores WMT -0.16% .




The retail behemoth last week teamed up with five Hollywood studios in an effort to stem the continuing decline in DVD sales. The idea behind the effort is to encourage customers to own, rather than rent, movies by making them accessible on the Internet after they are purchased.

Wal-Mart, the country's largest seller of DVDs, will let customers convert physical discs into digital viewing rights in the so-called UltraViolet online library. Customers will then gain access to UltraViolet via Wal-Mart's Vudu site. One catch, customers will have to pay an extra $2 per DVD. They will also have to bring them to a Wal-Mart store. That could prove a convenience for some, or a turnoff to those seeking digital convenience.

The deal could pose a challenge to Apple and Amazon.com AMZN +0.25% on the retail front. Both want users to purchase and store video in their online ecosystems. Attracting more users to a particular video-storage platform, or digital locker, should help to keep users loyal to a particular provider.

Apple has so far declined to participate in UltraViolet, which is designed to let consumers view movies from an array of platforms in addition to Vudu. Instead, Apple has stuck to the closed-architecture model it employs with iTunes music; customers who buy movies on Apple's website need to view them with Apple's software. So far, Apple is at the head of the pack, with 66% of U.S. electronic movie sales and on-demand rentals in the first half of 2011, according to Tom Adams of IHS Screen Digest.

But that leading market share could decline if the Vudu plan works. The strategy is to hook customers on Vudu by moving their existing physical movie collections onto its platform. That would make it more logical to purchase digital copies on Vudu, adding them to existing UltraViolet libraries.

And Wal-Mart has gotten into the game early given that electronic movie sales totaled just 115 million copies last year, versus 664 million physical DVD sales, according to IHS.

It is too early, though, to call a winner in what is the opening stage of the battle to determine how video will be distributed digitally, a key part of the fight to control the digital living room. Walt Disney, DIS +0.58% for instance, isn't part of the Wal-Mart effort, which could disappoint fans of that studio.

And in weighing different companies' moves, it is important to remember how Apple's business model works. The tech giant actually makes very little money from its software. Rather, its hardware is priced high enough to generate the bulk of profits. Since Vudu works on some key Apple devices like the iPad, more on-the-go movie watching may be a good thing no matter which software consumers use.

That is in contrast to Amazon, which probably loses money on sales of its Kindle tablet but depends on online purchases for profits. IHS reckons Amazon has 4% of the electronic movie market, along with 8.5% of DVD sales.

One option for Amazon would be to respond quickly to Wal-Mart when it introduces an UltraViolet-compatible platform. Amazon, which already undercuts Wal-Mart on prices for many items, could give customers free UltraViolet rights on DVDs.

But while it would be easy to check the history of discs purchased on Amazon, the company lacks the physical presence Wal-Mart can use to convert full DVD collections. And Amazon may be in a tough spot to absorb more expenses, given its operating margins have shrunk to virtually zero.

Even if Wal-Mart's effort is only modestly successful, it could keep the bricks-and-mortar player in the movie game.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...405850736.html

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Centris: Blu-ray Player Household Penetration Reaches 26%

20 Mar, 2012
By: Erik Gruenwedel



About one in four homes had a Blu-ray Disc player or capable consumer electronic device in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 47% from the same period in 2010, according to new research.

Horsham, Pa.-based Centris Research disclosed the finding in a quarterly report outlining communication and technology penetration in the home. The Blu-ray data mirrors weekly Home Media Magazine research figures, including that 23% of total disc sales ($36.9 million) revenue came from the high-definition format for the week ended Feb. 25.

It is the Blu-ray market that continues to drive packaged media sales and generate higher margins for studios than standard DVD, disc rentals, transactional video-on-demand and electronic sellthrough. The format is also a foundation in Hollywood’s effort to launch cloud-based digital locker UltraViolet.

Surprisingly, the number of households with a DVD player increased 4% to 91% in the period, compared with 87% in the previous year. The data underscores the notion that average consumer demand for optical disc entertainment remains strong.

In addition, the report – based on 2,000 Internet survey respondents monthly – found that household penetration of time delayed TV programming via digital video recorders (DVR) also increased 4% to 38% from 36% in 2010.

The report also found that HDTV penetration increased 6% to 63%, while high-definition TV service from multichannel video program distributors increased 11% to 42% of households. Households with a TV rose 1% to nearly 100% market penetration.

“The [data] shows that U.S. households continue to purchase a broad range of technologies,” said Bill Beaumont, president of Centris.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/blu...aches-26-26721

[ZoetMB]

The problem with the discount to the theatrical John Carter is that it expires April 7th, but the film probably isn't going to last in theatres that long. They might have been better off offering a discount on the DVD/BD, which will probably be coming sooner, rather than later, so that Disney can make some more of its money back.

All unfortunate, because I actually thought that it was a pretty good movie, certainly with some faults, but far better than Thor or any of the Transformers movies, IMO.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

The problem with the discount to the theatrical John Carter is that it expires April 7th, but the film probably isn't going to last in theatres that long. They might have been better off offering a discount on the DVD/BD, which will probably be coming sooner, rather than later, so that Disney can make some more of its money back.

All unfortunate, because I actually thought that it was a pretty good movie, certainly with some faults, but far better than Thor or any of the Transformers movies, IMO.

The Disney site actually says until April 15 or the end of its theatrical run when you go to redeem the code. I liked the movie as well.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Week Ending 03/10/12





Obviously a nice week for Immortals and Game of Thorns.

Blu-ray being up 35.7% really pulled up the DVD+BD YoY percentage for the week .








http://www.homemediamagazine.com/mar...k-ended-031012

[blueshadow | Kosty]

This historical data has been updated below with more current information.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

This historical data has been updated below with more current information.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

This historical data has been updated below with more current information.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Lionsgate Shares Soar in Advance of ‘Hunger Games’

21 Mar, 2012
By: Erik Gruenwedel

Ticket seller Fandango says movie is top-selling franchise opener has already sold out 2,000 showtimes

Liongate’s usual moribund stock continued a meteoric surge in advance of the March 23 theatrical launch of probable blockbuster movie franchise The Hunger Games.


Shares of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based minimajor March 21 opened up 4% after closing March 20 at $15.28 per share -- up 165% from a low of $5.76 per share last May. The stock is up nearly 31% in the past month. Lionsgate’s perennial anemic shares had been a catalyst for former investor Carl Icahn’s failed three-year takeover attempt, which ended last August when he sold his stake.

Lionsgate has bet its future on the first installment of a bestselling trio of novels by Suzanne Collins that targets the hugely loyal Twilight fan base. Starring Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Hunger Games features a post-apocalyptic world where male and female teens from 12 districts in the fictional country of Panem are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which there can only be one survivor.

Through March 19 Lionsgate had reportedly pre-sold more than 1 million ‘Hunger’ movie tickets – a strong indication the film could generate almost $125 million its opening weekend, according to Deadline.com. Indeed, Fandango March 21 said Hunger Games had already sold out 2,000 showtimes, making it the top-selling franchise opener in history. The movie is on track to generate about $300 million overall, according to analyst David Joyce with Millar Tabak & Co.

Box office numbers like that coupled with an ardent female fan base are usually gold to home entertainment. The four Twilight films, which have generated more than $1.5 billion, have sold more than 30 million discs, according to The-Numbers.com.

Lionsgate earlier this year astutely acquired Twilight studio Summit Entertainment with the last edition of the teen vampire franchise, Breaking Dawn: Part 2, still to hit theaters, in addition to recently released Breaking Dawn: Part 1 at retail.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/lio...er-games-26729

[blueshadow | Kosty]

This historical data has been updated below with more current information.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

This historical data has been updated below with more current information.

[blueshadow | Kosty]

[blueshadow | Kosty]

Week Ending 03/18/12


Blu-ray Unit Marketshare:

50% for The Adventures of Tintin
32% for Descendants
23% for Happy Feet Two.

'Happy Feet Two' Dances Way to Top Sales Spot

21 Mar, 2012
By: Thomas K. Arnold


Happy Feet Two

The approach of Spring Break continues to find studios stepping up their release schedules of high-profile titles, as Hollywood home video marketers take aim at out-of-school kids and their Easter gift-giving parents.

Three new releases landed in the top three slots on the weekly Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, which tracks all disc sales at most big retailers except Walmart and Sam’s Club, as well as Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ended March 18.

On the overall sales chart, Warner Home Video’s Happy Feet Two, which earned $64 million in U.S. theaters, debuted at No. 1. Paramount’s The Adventures of Tintin ($77.6 million) bowed at No. 2 and 20th Century Fox’s The Descendants ($82 million) debuted at No. 3.

The first two films are animated family features; Descendants is an Oscar-winning dramatic comedy that stars George Clooney in a critically hailed performance as a wealthy father who tries to reconnect with his daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.

On the Blu-ray Disc sales chart, all three films also captured the top three spots, albeit in a different order. The top-selling Blu-ray Disc was Adventures of Tintin, with Descendants following at No. 2 and Happy Feet Two trailing at No. 3.

Accordingly, Nielsen research shows Tintin generated 50% of its sales from the Blu-ray Disc format, compared to 32% for Descendants and just 23% for Happy Feet Two.

On Home Media Magazine’s weekly video rental chart, Adventures of Tintin was an easy winner, in part due to the fact that Paramount doesn’t delay shipping its new releases to rental dealers.

Sony Pictures’ Jack and Jill slipped to No. 2 after two weeks in the top spot, followed by another new release, Summit Entertainment’s The Three Musketeers, which debuted at No. 3.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/res...les-spot-26746

[blueshadow | Kosty]

...the weekly Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, which tracks all disc sales at most big retailers except Walmart and Sam’s Club

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/res...les-spot-26746