DVD sales grow throughout Europe

The DVD Entertainment Group Europe have revealed a steady growth in sales of DVDs throughout Western European during April–June 2003.
Figures reveal that in the top five European markets (France, Germany, Spain, Italy and UK), 53m DVD discs were sold in Q2 2003, up from 29.6m (an increase of 82.7%) in Q2, 2002.
With 109 million discs sold so far this year across Western Europe, software sales have been buoyed by key releases – ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets’ and ‘Die Another Day’. Sales for the first half increased 63.6% on same period last year, with 10,625,000 discs sold during the first six months of this year.
The first half figures now look stronger than ever with the total installed base at 30, 586 million players, equivalent to one in four Western European homes (26.4%) - up from last year’s total figure of 20.4%. This figure is expected to increase to over a third of Western European homes (35.4%) by the end of 2003.
(GB)