For an overwhelming majority of Americans, renting and buying prerecorded DVDs, videocassettes, and video games remains an integral component of their entertainment options.
Home video is the most popular way for Americans to view the latest movies.
More than 82 million households in the U.S., approximately 76% of all television households, now own a DVD player. If including computers with DVD capability and DVD-enabled video games, an estimated 89 million households have the capability to play DVD. More than 94 million households are equipped with a VCR.
Last year, consumers spent $24.3 billion buying and renting DVDs and VHS cassettes, far surpassing the $8.75 billion that moviegoers spent at the theatrical box office. Consumer spending on home video was essentially flat over 2004.
Consumers spent $16.3 billion purchasing DVDs and videotapes in 2004, with DVDs representing 99% of the sales revenue.
Video rental revenue totaled $7.8 billion last year, with 85% of the revenue coming from DVD rentals. It is estimated that 2.1 billion DVDs and 414 million VHS tapes were rented in 2005.
Purchase of previously viewed DVDs and VHS titles was estimated at $1.1 billion in 2005.
The average U.S. household owns more than 40 DVD movies.
In 2005 the average active DVD household purchased 18 DVDs and rented 23 DVDs.
In 2005 the average active VHS household purchased 5 VHS cassettes and rented 10 cassettes.
There are over 55,000 titles available on DVD. An average of 200 new titles are released on DVD each week.
The home video industry is an enormously profitable channel for studio film revenues. Revenue from home video accounts for approximately 60% of the studios' gross domestic film revenue.
Forty percent of households own a console video game player. Twenty-four percent of households own a handheld video game player.
In 2005, U.S. computer and video game software sales totaled $7 billion
In 2005, more than 228 million computer and video games were sold, almost two for every household in America.
Video game rental revenue was $663 million from 116 million rentals in 2005.
Fifty percent of all Americans play video games.
The average gamer will rent 10 games per year
There an estimated 23,000 video rental specialty stores in the U.S. These stores include the major public chains such as Blockbuster and Movie Gallery, and a significant number of independent retailers. It is estimated that just over 50% of video specialty stores are independently owned. Another 4,100 non-specialists, primarily supermarkets and drugstores, also rent video as a regular part of their business.
