For the second consecutive year, DVD sales and rentals have slipped in the U.S. market. The overall sales of the new releases is down a huge 7% from 2005s first half.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president Benjamin Feingold said "We predicted the business would be flat this year, and that's what's happening."
This isn't too hard a prediction as sales and rentals are tied into the quality of product and quality has been down for a while.
Home Media Retailing is estimating that rentals have fallen by 3.9 percent to $10.9 billion and sales dropped by 3.7 percent to $10.9 billion according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Warner (TWX) Home Video is still the leading retailer as it has garnered 20.6 percent of all video sales. Keeping with the trends is Buena Vista Home Entertainment who is second again with 16.6 percent, with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment coming in third with 12.8 percent. The Fox number may increase significantly as the year goes on with it taking over distribution of the MGM titles from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is in fourth place with a share of 11.6%. Sony follows with 11.2 percent. Paramount Home Entertainment has 9.5 percent so far this year and Lionsgate comes in under 5 percent.
Top DVDs for the year so far are Buena Vista's "Narnia," with 11.8 million units sold, and Warner's "Goblet of Fire" in second with 10.9 million units. "Wedding Crashers" is in third at this time with 8.4 million units sold and Universal's King Kong in fourth place with approximately 7.2 million units sold.
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