Disc Rental Window Brings More Sales

For more than a year, Warner Bros. Pictures has been experimenting with a 28-day window that delays DVD and Blu-ray rentals to the likes of Netflix and Redbox in hopes of boosting sales. The results are in: Best Buy says the window works as planned, especially in the first four weeks of a title's life.

What does this mean for Netflix and Redbox?

Ironically, it may be good for them. By agreeing to the 28-day no-rental window, they've put themselves in a better position to negotiate rental and streaming arrangements with major movie and TV producers who otherwise might be reluctant. Not investing in hot titles during the window also leaves them free to spend more to acquire streaming rights to other material.

See news.com.

COMMENTS
limabird's picture

Perhaps those that buy discs are buying more because of the rental window, but I personally would rather just rent. I would also question how they calculated the effect of the window, there's a lot of variables that go into disc sales.

Either way, I think a revolt is in order. I suggest boycotting all theaters, disk sales, and licensed per rental movies until the studios agree to eliminate the window and stop harassing companies that rent discs they have purchased on the open market. If they need to charge more for the discs to make ends meet, so be it, but if they want to sell physical copies of their movies, the buyer has the right to do what they want with them.

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