07/01/2009

The relatively new Blu-ray format enjoyed success in the lucrative Christmas/New Year holiday season with 1.5 million sold in December alone – up 400% from 2007 – according to figures released by the British Video Association (BVA). In total, Blu-ray discs sold a total of 3.7 million units in 2008.

British director Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight, starring British actor Christian Bale, was the bestselling Blu-ray disc of the year, shifting 281,000 units. Bucking the economic gloom, recession and credit crunch, traditional DVDs also enjoyed a bumper year with Mamma Mia selling 5.1 million units in just five weeks at the end of 2008, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling DVD in history.

BVA Director General Lavinia Carey said, “The growth in disc sales throughout 2008 reveals that the home entertainment market is showing resilience in a difficult economic climate. We are not surprised that home entertainment is generally bearing up well; as people tighten their belts, many have rejected more extravagant outings in favour of a cosy evening at home with their favourite titles. We expect the growth of Blu-ray to continue in 2009 on the back of strong releases such as Quantum of Solace [+see also:
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It is estimated that Blu-ray disc sales will increase to 17 million units over the next 12 months, accounting for 7% of the total disc market while DVD will sell 241 million discs.