Jari Ketola
30 Sep 1999 13:49
The sales of "The Matrix" DVD are soaring. Already 1.5 million copies of the movie have been shipped making "The Matrix" the most successful title in the format's history! The DVD release has already generated $23.4 million in revenues
Setting another industry record, "The Matrix," released on DVD Sept. 21, generated sales to consumers of approximately 780,000 or 52 percent of shipments, making it the most successful DVD in first week sales. According to VideoScan, first week consumer sales of "The Matrix" DVD were three times greater than the next highest-selling title to date.
"DVD has not only revolutionized home entertainment, it's changed the threshold for success in the market," said Warren Lieberfarb, president, Warner Home Video. "`The Matrix' is the perfect example of DVD's market potential."
It took just two years from DVD's national launch in August of 1997 for the format to ship one million units of a single title. That compares to four years for compact discs and 11 years for VHS!
Since its launch in 1997, DVD players have outsold the VCR by 13 to one and the CD player by four to one. More than 60 million discs have been shipped and nearly 2.6 million DVD players are currently in U.S. homes. More than 4,000 DVD titles are now available from every major studio for sale or rent at traditional retail outlets and through online services.