Yesterday during an earnings call, Time Warner Inc. CFO John Martin said that Warner Home Video would increase the number of titles released in 2010, especially on Blu-ray, compared to last year. Martin mentioned the continued growth of "higher margin of Blu-ray" as one of the factors that will offset the "somewhat challenged" DVD sales.
Sales of
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and
The Hangover were singled out as particularly strong. The filmed-entertainment unit reported fourth-quarter operating income of $436 million, up 61% from operating income of $271 million during the previous-year period. The results marked the seventh consecutive quarter of pre-tax earnings growth for the film segment.
Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said that the company was hopeful that the sellthrough window agreed upon with Netflix "can provide an example of what can work in putting out rational windows".
Bewkes also said the studios would continue to tap into the catalog of characters from DC Comics for theatrical releases, direct-to-video titles and video games. Specific announcements will take place in the coming weeks.