CES 2016: SVOD, EST Spur 1% Spike in Home Entertainment Spend

LAS VEGAS — Total spending on home entertainment — a large category including physical discs, downloads and SVOD — ticked up 1% in 2015 to reach $18.1 billion, according to an annual report issued today by the Digital Entertainment Group.

Released as International CES kicks off here, the report shows a continued free-fall for DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, with packaged goods revenue slumping 12% to $6.1 billion. But overall electronic sell-through, or EST, sales soared 18% to hit $1.9 billion and SVOD jumped 25% to $5.1 billion. And even within the beleaguered physical disc category, Blu-ray disc sales rose 8% in the fourth quarter, corresponding with strength in movie box office receipts.

“The strength of the premium experience bodes well for the introduction of Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2016,” the report asserted.

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