1.7 million TDK first week worldwide sales (1 mil. US)

[FinalEvangelion]

Here is the press release you have been looking for...

The Dark Knight Blu-Ray Sales Shatter All Records
Sales of Over 1.7 Million Blu-ray Discs(TM) Worldwide After One Week

Last update: 12:00 a.m. EST Dec. 17, 2008
BURBANK, Calif., Dec 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Over 1 Million Blu-ray Discs(TM) Sold in U. S. Alone
The Dark Knight took the world by storm on Blu-ray and DVD, breaking records for 2008. The blockbuster hit from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan became an instant must-own classic with Blu-ray sales of over 1.7 million units and total DVD and Blu-ray sales of 13.5 million worldwide*, including consumer sales and rental sales, in one week. Brisk consumer sales - totaling over 10 million with one week of sales reported - are expected to continue through the holiday season. The Dark Knight is the best selling Blu-ray title in history and will become the best selling 2008 title overall this week. The response to the digital copy offering included on the Blu-ray and Special Edition DVD has been remarkable with the number of consumers activating their digital copies approaching 300,000. The Dark Knight is already the number one movie for the year on the iTunes 2008 Chart.
The Dark Knight marks the first time that a major feature film has been shot in part using IMAX(R) cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of film formats. The Dark Knight Blu-ray disc takes advantage of the marriage of IMAX(R) and 35mm formats by using the hybrid master to replicate the unique theatrical experience. The IMAX scenes are also included on the 2-disc Special Edition as bonus materials.
The Dark Knight comes from Academy Award(R) nominated filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Prestige, Memento), and features commanding performances from Christian Bale (Batman Begins, 3:10 to Yuma, The Prestige), Academy Award(R) Winner Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules, Children of Men), Academy Award(R) Nominee Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Gary Oldman (Hannibal, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking, No Reservations), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Stranger Than Fiction, World Trade Center) and Academy Award(R) Winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, Wanted).
THE CREDITS
With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, Village Roadshow, HBO Home Video, and New Line Home Entertainment.
* The Dark Knight figures included sales data from US, UK, Canada, Japan, Benelux and Australia
SOURCE: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/The-Dark-Knight-Blu-Ray/story.aspx?guid={FB979082-3FDE-4D1A-BFDB-27E8BD45EF88}

It does include rental sales.

There you go. Blu-ray freakin' rocks the world.

[BluStar88]

I think the US may have broken 1 mill.

if UK did 100K first day it probably did 200K for the week. assuming the general rule of doubling sales for the week based off of first day sales for big release titles.

rest of europe 100K max Japan 100K max neither probably even close so that would mean the US and Canada 1.3 mil?????? that is insane numberrs if that is infact the breakdown.

now we need iron man to be confirmed over 1 mill!

[FinalEvangelion]

Originally Posted by BluStar88

I think the US may have broken 1 mill.

if UK did 100K first day it probably did 200K for the week. assuming the general rule of doubling sales for the week based off of first day sales for big release titles.

rest of europe 100K max Japan 100K max neither probably even close so that would mean the US and Canada 1.3 mil?????? that is insane numberrs if that is infact the breakdown.

now we need iron man to be confirmed over 1 mill!

Yep, the first line of the article said that US broke 1 million. I could see Japan doing 200-300k. Unlike American games, Japanese people love American movies - from what I've seen living here. Especially big ones like this.

[FendersRule]

With these statistics, all members who deny Blu-ray in the news section will now get an isnta-ban

Good news.

[Blu Titan]

1.7 million BD units is fantastic much better than I imagined!

[WriteSimply]

I'm going to nuke the next blogger/critic/journalist who says that Blu-ray Disc is dead.

2009 is going to be fantastic!


fuad

[Blu-News]

It doesn't look so good as when compared to DVD sales, but 1 million in the U.S. is fantastic.

[gaeljet]

you need to know that in some for example european countries like for me in france you need to wait longer to get film released, for instance in france you have to wait six months from the theatrical day one to get it released, it s just the law, yes a silly one, since i d say 3 or 4 months would still secure theaters financial health but it s the law, and i t s better than it used to be, since a few years ago you had to wait ONE YEAR!

so it must be logical thant european sales are so weak since it s not released everywhere(in france it s in february! but i got i from axel on early december)

[Scorxpion]

Outrageous and i think my copy play a big role in worldwide number.

Congratulation Blu_Ray

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Scorxpion

Outrageous and i think my copy play a big role in worldwide number.

Yes it sure did, it was like discovering the cure for cancer

[Scorxpion]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Yes it sure did, it was like discovering the cure for cancer

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Scorxpion

Outrageous and i think my copy play a big role in worldwide number.

Congratulation Blu_Ray

Everyone's copy played a part in accomplishing this feat.

[MAPdead]

Good news I wonder whats going to be the next big hit on Blu Ray.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by MAPdead

Good news I wonder whats going to be the next big hit on Blu Ray.

If Watchment is done the right way, this could be the next big seller sometime in October 2009.

[Scorxpion]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Everyone's copy played a part in accomplishing this feat.

Let's see Home media magazine what is going to report this coming friday.I guess the numbers will be very impressed against DVD.Especially not only Dark Knight on BD sell very well but others do well also.

[mattym]

but but but what happens when a big hit will come we wont be able to make all the disks to sell as the BD lines are feeble and not up to it and the yeild rates are so low and oh my god we are all going to DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

oh was that all FUD? I would never have guessed...

Excellent sales, lets hope that it continues.

[Scorxpion]

Originally Posted by mattym

but but but what happens when a big hit will come we wont be able to make all the disks to sell as the BD lines are feeble and not up to it and the yeild rates are so low and oh my god we are all going to DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

oh was that all FUD? I would never have guessed...

Excellent sales, lets hope that it continues.

I guess SONY which have a manufacturer "Blu-ray Authoring" owned by themselves helped Warner Brothers to achieve this great result.Just out of curiosity i try to read the bar code found on Dark Knight and other BD done by Sony.the result is the same.Sony has some interfering here.But overall this is good and who have said blu-ray cannot duplicate million copies is nothing than a looser.

[york weir]

Just slightly better than the BD : DVD ratio, not bad.

Inching away at DVD slowly but surely. Perhaps in 12 years BD will be kicking DVD butt like BD kicked HDDVD butt.

[doctorsteve]

BUT, BUT, BUT - capacity doesn't matter! We don't NEED lossless audio! We don't need anything more than MPEG-2!

All the FUDspinners from the now defunct otherside can suck it. It's great to see the market growing and awareness spreading beyond the 'early adopters', which I am proud to say I was one.

Kinda like watching a little kid take their first second and third steps or something...

Cheers, Doc

[FinalEvangelion]

Blu-haters are getting pretty fed up now in other various forums. It's funny to watch.

But yeah, this solidifies the fact that BD is now an initiated format and can't fail now. With all the formats I've seen succeed and fail, failed formats never consitently reached the 10% penetration. It seems things take off once 10% is hit.

Word of mouth from satisfied consumers won the war against the FUD from the HD-DVD/MS fanboys.

I think now we go from the early adoption phase to the early majority phase in marketing. Getting to the early majority phase is the most difficult. LD, MD,VCD and DVHS never made it (in US).