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Breaking news from our friends at Media Play News
https://www.mediaplaynews.com/universal-warner-bros-to-merge-domestic-disc-business/
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Breaking news from our friends at Media Play News
https://www.mediaplaynews.com/universal-warner-bros-to-merge-domestic-disc-business/
The only thing that seems to raise a red flag is that if representatives from either studio would get involved in a pissing match with Amazon, like Disney is and Warner previously has been, then it sounds like product from both studios would be affected.
I wish they would license out even more of their titles. There are still plenty of titles, including all those older Paramount ones they own.I suppose it makes good business sense. I dunno, but I'd think it would be new movies, as Universal seem to license out nearly all their catalogue releases these days.
I wish they would license out even more of their titles. There are still plenty of titles, including all those older Paramount ones they own.
Nobody sells units like Disney does so a merger of two other studios is unlikely to get any better leverage with Amazon and Wal-Mart.
If a history of physical media is ever written, I'm sure that the single greatest blow to the business by far will prove to be the introduction of Disney +.
Today, Kino announced a new disc deal with Universal involving 200 movie titles.If the release rate (especially WAC) continues at the same pace, I’m ok.
Where this is likely to hurt is with boutique labels (especially Kino). Warner has been reluctant to license to others, and if Universal back catalog is no longer licensed, I would not like that. Or if WAC’s only ‘perfect’ releases now extended to Universal, that would also be not welcome.
On the other hand, Universal has been open about licensing, so if some of the less-than-perfect Warner’s titles ended up somewhere else, that would be a plus.
A lot will depend on whose policies take precedence.
Today, Kino announced a new disc deal with Universal involving 200 movie titles.
It screened in NYC in December...looked and sounded wonderful!Well, I know a 4K restoration of THROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE was screened recently (or is upcoming). KINO did SWEET CHARITY...so I can dream!
The moves come amid the long, slow decline of physical disc sales — which show no signs of reversing — and the ascendancy of streaming video. Sales of DVDs in the U.S. fell 9.4% in 2019, to $5.9 billion, down from about $9 billion in the U.S. in 2011, according to trade group DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.