Good news for studios: DVD sales jump

April 17, 2008 Consumer spending on DVDs and Blu-ray Discs in the first three months of this year was up about 1% from the first three months of 2007, coming in at $5.51 billion compared with $5.46 billion in the first quarter of last year, according to Home Media Magazine market research estimates based on studio and retail data. The nascent Blu-ray Disc saved the day for the sellthrough business, per Nielsen VideoScan sales data, with DVD unit sales in the first quarter down 1.2% from the first quarter of 2007 but Blu-ray Disc sales up a whopping 351%. Steve Beeks, president and co-COO of Lionsgate, said the minimajor had the best calendar quarter for home entertainment in its history, with a market share of 9%, up from 6.8% in the first quarter of 2007.

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