The Dark Knight saved 2008 for packaged media
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Dec 24th 2008 12:28PM
posted Dec 24th 2008 12:28PM
Even the most optimistic analysts didn't predict that The Dark Knight would be able to single-handedly save packaged media sales in 2008. But thanks to the 13.5 million units sold, packaged media income was only down 3% to $22.9 billion in revenues -- that's with a B. This is hardly the doomsday loses predicted and down right impressive when compared to the US economy as a whole and many in the industry are thanking Blu-ray for this. While some predicted that digital downloads would be the next saving grace, it is actually Blu-ray that is showing promise. Now to be fair it should be noted that The Dark Knight won't be available in HD on digital download services until tomorrow, but then again that is part of the problem. And while we know that the Blu-ray version of The Dark Knight brought in about $50 million in one week, we'd be very surprised if any of the download services anounced even a fifth of that next week.
I am sure the DVD guys which were hoping that high def will fail are currently tearing their hair off but still being in denial. DVD is dead get over it!
LOL
Dave you can keep slobbering all over Blu-ray and cheerlead as much as you like but DVD is far from "dead".
Don't be so laughably ridiculous.
DVD sales were in fact the overwhelming majority of sales being talked about here.
Blu-ray took a mere 12% of Batman TDK.
DVD sales were excellent (just like they were for Iron Man and Wanted) and any other title you care to name.
Considering how many PS3s there are and how these movies have been about as squarely aimed at the PS3 demographic as can be I'd call the numbers a disappointment, in fact.
Probably 20% of $ though TT.
Did I miss it, or did Nielsen never deliver the Blu-ray sales numbers for The Dark Knight's release?
I'd love to see the total numbers and comps.
@trentd
the thing is, that week Ben wasn't home and he didn't post the numbers for that week.
1.7 Million BDs
Why are they thanking Blu-ray? 12% of TDK's sales were BD, the rest were DVD. Did BD encourage everyone to buy DVD copies? That doesn't make any sense.
Well Blu-ray does have a higher mark-up and it probably brings in more profit per unit sold than
a standard DVD. So I am think they are pretty happy that it sold 12% of the total sales for TDK. Last year it would not of done 12%.
I haven't been buying DVDs for years, since after experiencing even the semi-mediocre quality of broadcast HD, I couldn't go back to the softness and bland colors of 480p NTSC. Since Blu-ray came out, I've been happily buying packaged media again, including TDK. I'm sure I'm not the only one among the 12% that bought the BD copy who wouldn't have bought it if it was a DVD-only release. That's why the studios are thanking Blu-ray for helping their bottom line. It's gotten consumers like me to start buying again.
I feel the same as Mr. E.
I too didnt really buy any DVD's for the last couple of years. Since HD-DVD and Blu-ray arrived i have invested in more than 220 HD movies. Most of them in late 2007 and 2008.
I would not have bought "The Dark Knight" on DVD, but was happy to purchase it on Blu-ray.
Same here... I hadn't bought a DVD almost since getting a HDTV, but now I find myself collecting quite a few Blu-rays.