Blu-ray Sales, August 8-August 14: Rio Wings to the Top (Again)

For the week ending 8/14/11, Rio withstood an extraterrestrial challenge to remain perched on top of the Blu-ray and the overall sales charts. Jesse Eisenberg's Blu, had a strong debut for Blu-ray last week, as it obtained 33% of total unit sales from the HD format. In week number two of release, Blu-ray's portion of the overall package media market for Rio dropped slightly to 29%. The blue macaw kept a tight hold on the top spot with the week's No. 2 title selling 84% as many copies.

Second place on the Blu-ray sales chart belonged to Paul. The comedy from Universal Studios, reunited Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two sci-fi geeks who encounter a raunchy alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) in their travels through UFO land. Achieving modest box office success by ending its theatrical run with a worldwide total of $97 million, Paul, did make a splash in Blu-ray by generating an outstanding 49% of its total discs sales from the format.

Bowing at No.3 in the Blu-ray sales chart was Your Highness. Produced with a budget of $50 million, the James Franco and Danny McBride starrer, resulted in a box office disappointment as it ended its worldwide theatrical run with $25 million. Your Highness did manage 48% of its home video sales from Blu-ray.

The absolute star of the week for Blu was its No.4 seller The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound 2, which ended its initial week by raking 56% of total disc sales from the HD format. The box office flop of the year, Mars Needs Moms, continued its dubious trend by only placing fifth in the Blu-ray sales chart and seventh in the overall sales chart. Blu-ray finished an impressive sales week by receiving 47% of Mars' total package media sales.


Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 08/14/11.

1. Rio
2. Paul
3. Your Highness
4. The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound 2
5. Mars Needs Moms
6. Jumping the Broom
7. Soul Surfer
8. Rango
9. Limitless

Top Five Sellers for Week Ending 08/14/11 (Blu-ray's market share).

1. Rio (29%)
2. Paul (49%)
3. Jumping the Broom (13%)
4. Your Highness (48%)
5. The Fox and the Hound / The Fox and the Hound 2 (56%)