Blu-ray Sees Worldwide Growth

After beginning worldwide shipments of Blu-ray movies this past April, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has seen substantial growth in its high definition business. These territories, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East, now represent 10% of their total Blu-ray business. In June alone, SPHE reported a 21% increase in orders across these regions. T. Paul Miller, senior VP of international at SPHE noted, "It is extremely positive to see an increase in volume of Blu-ray software sales in these markets where piracy has previously ravaged the DVD business." Currently, Sony is the only studio supporting Blu-ray distribution in these areas, but they hope that their success will inspire other Blu-ray studios to add their content to these regions as well.