Comeback kids DVD and Blu-ray remastered to fight another day

Sainsbury’s might have stopped selling them but reports of the film format’s demise are greatly exaggerated as the BFI, StudioCanal and others can testify. Why, even HMV is reopening. James Moore on the physical format revival

Physical format sales soared during the pandemic (Getty)

The decision by Sainsbury’s to stop stocking DVDs and Blu-rays was for some confirmation of the demise of the disc, the descent of those shiny platters into the dustbin of format history along with VHS, Betamax, laser discs and the rest. Sales have been in long-term decline, at an average of 20 per cent annually, having peaked in 2004 prior to the emergence of digital downloads and, especially, streaming.

The entertainment industry’s laser-like focus is today on the latter. A multi-billion-dollar battle for dominance is underway. Even Netflix is feeling the effects. Of late, the subscriber numbers of the industry’s reigning monarch have fallen short of expectations. Its latest trading update also showed earnings coming in below Wall Street’s forecasts.

Why on earth, then, did Anime UK close its own streaming venture in favour of focussing on the physical format, alongside cinematic distribution at a time when the future of cinemas has also been questioned?