Sales of subscription streaming services increased sharply in 2017, and DVD and Blu-ray took a big hit. DVDs may be headed for the same fate as VHS cassette tapes, as consumers change their viewing habits and binge on a variety of video streaming services. The shift from discs to online streaming can be seen in Digital Entertainment Group’s year-end report, which found that US consumers spent nearly $6 billion more on subscription services like Netflix and HBO Go last year than they did on DVD and Blu-ray.
As this chart by Statisa shows, sales of all physical formats of video — such as DVD and Blu-ray discs, DVD subscription services, and video kiosk rentals like RedBox — experienced a substantial decline in 2017. Interestingly, video-on-demand services also saw a 7% decline, underscoring the growth in “cord cutters” who are ditching their monthly cable plans for streaming options. Whether consumers are motivated by cost savings, ease-of-use or immediacy, it’s clear that internet has emerged as America’s favorite method for video distribution.
Tech: Streaming services are killing off the DVD and Blu-ray industry
