LOS ANGELES –
The Digital Entertainment
Group’s (DEG) latest study showed an impressive
rise in the sale of Blu-ray Disc hardware
and software.
In total, the “Third Quarter 2011 Home Entertainment
Report” charted a 5 percent increase
in third-quarter home entertainment spending
from the same period a year ago. The overall
home entertainment sales rise was said to be
the first since the first quarter of 2008 when
the current Great Recession began to surface.
During the period the number of Blu-ray
homes jumped 52 percent from a year earlier,
to 33.5 million, according to DEG estimates.
“The third-quarter 2011 results mark the continued
stabilization of the industry, underscored by
significant gains in Blu-ray Disc and solid increases
in electronic sell-through spending,” the group
said in a statement on the findings. “This growth
reflects an encouraging shift in the marketplace
as we head into the all-important fourth quarter.”
Blu-ray Disc sell-through rose 58 percent in
the period as electronic sell-through rose almost
13 percent compared with a year ago.
Nearly 50 percent of the home releases of major
box-office-winning films were on Blu-ray Disc,
while Blu-ray Disc releases of catalog titles rose
more than 60 percent, led by popular classics including
“Star Wars,” “Citizen Kane,” “Scarface”
and “The Big Lebowski,” among others.
The number of Blu-ray homes continues to
climb, soaring 52 percent in the third quarter
from a year earlier (including BD set-tops, Play-
Station3s and HTiBs.) Total household penetration
of all Blu-ray-compatible devices now
stands at more than 33.5 million U.S. homes.
Positive indicators for further growth include
5.5 million HDTVs sold to U.S. consumers in
the third quarter 2011, bringing the penetration
rate of HDTVs to more than 69.5 million U.S.
households to date.
For the fourth quarter, the DEG said it is optimistic
the growth trends will also be helped by planned
new title releases including: “Captain America:
The First Avenger,” “Cars 2,” “Cowboys & Aliens,”
“Hangover 2,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 2,” “The Help,” “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “The
Smurfs” and “Water for Elephants.”
