Consumer spending on home-video entertainment grew 1 percent in 2015 to $18 billion, with dollar sales of Blu-ray discs rising 8 percent in the fourth quarter, said DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.
The preliminary statistics are included in the group’s year-end 2015 Home Entertainment Report, which was compiled by DEG members, tracking sources and retail input. The report includes physical-disc sales and rentals, video on demand, and digital sellthrough.
“Led by a strong slate and 8 percent growth in Blu-ray disc sales, the industry saw its best year-over-year physical retail performance since early 2014,” the group said. “The strength of the premium experience bodes well for the introduction of Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2016.”
The report also found that:
–Overall electronic sell-through (EST) spending rose 17 percent in the fourth quarter versus the year-ago quarter and was up 18 percent for the year.
— Subscription VOD (SVOD) spending was up 22 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to 2014 and up 25 percent in 2015 from 2014.
–UltraViolet accounts grew by almost 20 percent in 2015 to hit more than 25 million with 165 million movies and television shows in UltraViolet libraries.
–HDTV penetration stands at more than 114 million U.S. households.
–Blu-ray playback devices (including set-top boxes and game consoles) are in 104 million U.S. households.
–Consumer sales of 4K UHD TVs increased 287 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, bringing household penetration to more than 5 million U.S. households.