Consumer Spending Up, Blu-ray Continues to Grow

Sales of catalog titles on Blu-ray grew 22 percent in Q3 from a year earlier, according to a new report released today by the DEG (The Digital Entertainment Group). Spending was up close to 13 percent in the quarter compared to Q3 2011.

The number of households with Blu-ray players (BD set-tops, PS3s and HTiBs) also grew, up 5 percent from last year. According to the DEG, total household penetration of all Blu-ray compatible devices now stands at approximately 50 million U.S. homes.

The DEG also notes that 7.8 million new HDTVs were sold to U.S. consumers in Q3. This puts total HDTV penetration to date at more than 101 million U.S. households.

According to financial statements released by Comcast Corp. and cited by HomeMedia Magazine, operating income at Universal Studios Home Entertainment is also up 33 percent in Q3. Increased disc sales (DVD and Blu-ray) contributed to the impressive growth.