Black Friday: 14% of WHV Sales Were Blu-ray, Catalog Sales Up 4x

At a Future of Film Summit panel discussion held December 8 and sponsored by Variety, studios reported substantial Blu-ray sales and growth. For Warner Home Video, 14% of its total Black Friday software sales this year came from Blu-ray, up from 9% at the same date in 2008. Warner's Blu-ray catalog sales also were four times higher than during last year's Black Friday.

“This is a testament to customers' willingness to adopt higher-quality products,” said Warner Home Video domestic president Mark Horak. “Retailers were also aggressive in giving a greater value proposition to consumers. They stepped up and really supported the format.”

Horak also noted that regarding physical and digital supports, “this is not a fight,” and added: “The two formats can work together. We are trying to deliver a better consumer experience.” Addressing those who keep talking about home entertainment as if it's dead, he quipped: “The demise of the home entertainment business has been vastly overstated and over-reported I think they're just looking for a story.”