A trip to the cinema? No thanks, we're British

2007 was a good year for British cinema owners as ticket sales ticked up an admirable 4 per cent year-on-year, reversing consecutive down years, the UK Film Council recently reported. But the real growth is still in DVDs and other recordable film media, new research shows.

A new study by entertainment industry researchers at TNS WorldPanel Entertainment and ScreenDigest reveal that more Britons purchased at least one video in 2007 than went to the cinema. More specifically, 58.7 per cent of Britons bought a video last year while just 52.4 per cent of the population visited the cinema to see a movie. Interestingly, video rentals continues to decline -- just 20.7 per cent of the population hoofed it to a neighbourhood rental shop in 2007 -- while DVD sales remain brisk.

The enduring popularity of DVDs (and soon, high-definition Blu-ray discs) has even baffled studio executives. At first, they famously feared DVDs would sink box office sales, not realising that sale of these discs would prove to be a major revenue-earner. Now, there are concerns that the extraordinary growth of DVDs will come crashing down to earth. Of course, Blu-ray will keep the market buoyant for some time.

Comments

[MK]

Oh wait, I thought internet "piracy" had ruined DVD sales..
What a load of Garbage.

[Jim Barratt]

A close look at the DVD retail data presented by the UK Film Council (chapter 10 of their Yearbook) shows that DVD sales have plateaued in the last few years, in both volume and value terms. And I don't think people hoof it to the rental shop any more- an incresaing number use online/postal rental sevices (like LoveFilm) (although not enough to reverse the overall decline in rentals). http://www.biggerpictureresearch.net

[Anthony]

Has any of these 'studio executives' actually paid for a ticket and sat with the plebs in the local flea pit?

If so, they'd soon realise that most films are spoilt by large groups of kids messing about with their mobiles and that refuse to keep quiet when asked.

I used used to go to the movies at least twice a week, but after numerous poor experiences and the cinema managers being too frightened to intervene, I now rent movies, watch them on full surround sound, whilst I sip my wine in peace.