Blu-ray sales up 83%

[Batman1980]

Blu-ray Up 83% Year-to-Date
Posted October 19, 2009 11:00 AM by Juan Calonge
Today, the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) released third quarter US sales figures for the home entertainment industry. Blu-ray was up 66.3 percent to $161 million compared to the same period last year (up 83 percent year-to-date to $568 million). BD accounted for 12 percent of all theatrical new release sales in the third quarter.

Furthermore, according to Rentrak Corporation´s Home Video Essentials, Blu-ray rental spending was up 44.5 percent.

In sharp contrast to that, revenues from the supposed nemesis of Blu-ray, digital distribution, grew only 18 percent year on year in the quarter and 20 percent for the first nine months of the year.

Consumer spending for the third quarter of 2009 in the home entertainment window for pre-recorded entertainment, which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc and digital distribution, was off slightly at $4 billion, down by 3.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

"We are pleased to see an uptick in the number of consumer transactions, indicating a continuing strong demand for home entertainment product," said Ron Sanders, President of DEG and also of Warner Home Video. "We are also encouraged by the dramatic growth of Blu-ray and the increases in digital distribution and rental in the third quarter."

Blu-ray, proving to be home entertainment´s stand out performer in 2009, is accounting for 12 percent of all theatrical new release sales in the third quarter. The year´s best selling Blu-ray Disc titles, 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' and 'Watchmen', have each approached or surpassed 30 percent of consumer spending on Blu-ray Disc.

"Titles that appeal to the early adopter demographic continue to perform increasingly well on Blu-ray, representing upwards of 20 percent of all physical media sales," said Bob Chapek, Chairman of DEG and President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "As the penetration of Blu-ray increases, we are beginning to see the same kind of response by mainstream audiences that we are seeing in early adopters."

More than 17 million Blu-ray discs shipped to retail in the third quarter of the year, an increase of 35 percent over the same period last year.

According to figures compiled by the DEG based on data from CEA, retailers and manufacturers, Blu-ray Disc playback devices sold 3.3 million units through the first three quarters of 2009, an increase of 13 percent over the same period last year. Through the first three quarters of 2009, Blu-ray Disc set-top player sales grew 112 percent over same period last year.

Blu-ray playback device households are nearly 11.7 million and include PS3, standalone players and home-theater-in-a-box systems. Approximately 80 percent of Blu-ray devices are BD-Live capable.

"We´re enthusiastic about the continued promise of Blu-ray Disc with more entry level players coming to market and the upcoming strong slate of box office blockbusters," said Amy Jo Smith, Executive Director, DEG.

Source: DVD Town | Permalink | Relevant for:
Just wow, 83%....