Overall BD/DVD Sales, Anime Sales Rise in Japan in 2009

posted on 2010-01-22 01:20 EST

Home video sales rise 6.4%, anime/special-effects sales rise 9%, thanks to BD

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The Oricon survey firm presented its market report for 2009 home video sales in Japan on Friday. Oricon pegged the market last year at 273.721 billion yen (about US$3.0459 billion), based on data gathered from 25,120 retail stores, internet dealers, and other outlets from December 29, 2008 to December 27, 2009. That is an increase of 6.4% over 2008's sales data.

While Blu-ray Disc sales stood at 25.695 billion yen (US$285.9 million), 2009's DVD sales were 248.025 billion yen (US$2.76 billion) or 98.4% of the previous year's DVD sales. The ratio of DVD sales to Blu-ray Disc sales was 90.6 to 9.4. In all, 53.923 million items were sold — 50.524 million DVD releases and 3.398 million Blu-ray Disc releases.

Anime and special-effects titles made up 59.8% of the Blu-ray Disc market (or 15.4 billion yen/US$171 million) and 25.1% of the DVD market (or 62.27 billion yen/US$693 million). In all, anime and special-effects Blu-ray and DVD sales rose 9% from 71.5 billion yen (US$796 million) to 77.7 billion yen (US$865 million). Anime and special-effects DVD sales dropped 9%, but anime and special-effects Blu-ray Disc sales more than made up the difference.

The Japanese distributor Bandai Visual had the largest share of the market at 14.823 billion yen (US$164 million) or 5.4%. Warner Home Video followed behind at 13.604 billion yen (US$151 million) or 5%, and then TBS Video at 13.077 billion yen (US$146 million) or 4.8%. #4 was Aniplex at 12.912 billion yen (US$143 million) or 4.7%, and #5 was Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment at 12.09 billion yen (US$135 million) or 4.4%. The remaining distributors were Geneon Universal Entertainment (3.9%), 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (3.4%), VAP (3.3%), rhythm zone (3.1%), Fuji TV (3.1%) and "others" (58.9%).

Source: AV Watch, animeanime.biz