Blu-ray Sales, September 3-9: Battleship and Hunger Games Continue to Compete

Home

Blu-ray Sales, September 3-9: Battleship and Hunger Games Continue to Compete

Posted September 13, 2012 12:19 AM by Josh Katz

The week ending on September 9th documented the latest round of sales competitions between Battleship and The Hunger Games on the home media market charts. On the Blu-ray-only listings, Battleship scored its second week of top sales and a 51% Blu-ray market share; the action blockbuster debuted two weeks ago at number one and held that spot through the following week. Again, this is very encouraging news for Universal Studios, the film's parent studio, considering Battleship's disappointing theatrical exhibition in the United States last May. Domestically, the feature - budgeted at an estimated $209 million - grossed only $65 million, and its continued good fortunes on home media could go a long way towards helping Universal recoup some of its financial losses.

In second place on the Blu-ray chart is The Hunger Games, though by a very slim margin; the dystopian thriller sold 95% as many HD copies as Battleship. That narrow loss became a big win on the overall package media rankings, a venue where The Hunger Games handily outsold Battleship. Taking into consideration all home media formats, consumers bought 72% as many total units of Battleship as they did of The Hunger Games. Where The Hunger Games clearly fell short of Battleship was in its significantly smaller Blu-ray market share of 35%.

Finally, third place on the HD and total unit rankings went to a title far removed from either Battleship or The Hunger Games: Lionsgate Home Entertainment's Safe. This violent, Jason Statham-starring crime thriller had a modest worldwide gross of just over $35 million, but its placement against two PG-13-friendly titles allowed for some successful counter-programming that helped Safe make its home media premiere in the top three. Safe sold 80% as many Blu-rays as Battleship and had a 44% Blu-ray market share.

Top Ten Blu-ray Sellers for Week Ending 09/09/12:
  1. Battleship
  2. The Hunger Games
  3. Safe
  4. The Five-Year Engagement
  5. The Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season
  6. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
  7. Fringe: The Complete Fourth Season
  8. The Lucky One
  9. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
  10. Think Like a Man
Top Five Home Media Sellers for Week Ending 09/09/12 (% of Blu-ray's Market Share Noted):
  1. The Hunger Games (35%)
  2. Battleship (51%)
  3. Safe (44%)
  4. The Lucky One (19%)
  5. The Five-Year Engagement (41%)
Top Three Blu-ray 3D Sellers for Week Ending 09/09/12 (Per % of Total Unit Sales):
  1. Piranha 3DD (68%)
  2. Thor 3D (25%)
  3. Captain America: The First Avenger 3D (24%)
  4. Wrath of the Titans 3D (14%)
  5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits in 3D (10%)