Disney Sold 1.3 Million Movies on iTunes, Other Studios to Follow?

[MacRumors]

Financial Times reports that Disney has reached 1.3 million movie sales on iTunes after three months. Disney's chief executive, Bob Iger, claims that digital distribution is "creating more consumption of media" rather than cannibalizing DVD sales, which some traditional retailers have feared.

Target and Wal-Mart reportedly expressed concerns about Apple's entry into the online movie sales on the effect of traditional DVD sales.

Since the original launch of movie sales in September 2006, Paramount Pictures added their movies to the iTunes Store in January 2007.

[macintel4me]

That's an impressive about of movies sold. Go Apple and I'll ditch my cable company!

[zwida]

Here's hoping the next few months bring some depth and breadth to the catalog. Amazing that they've done as well as they have given the limited current offerings.

And I can't wait to start downloading over N.

[Scarlet Fever]

i wonder how many have been sold on iTS outside of the States?

[Shagrat]

Originally Posted by zwida

Here's hoping the next few months bring some depth and breadth to the catalog. Amazing that they've done as well as they have given the limited current offerings.

And I can't wait to start downloading over N.

and i can't wait to see ANY movies on iTunes UK.

Oh, I'll probably have to.

[Shagrat]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fever

i wonder how many have been sold on iTS outside of the States?

Dang it, you beat me to the punch!

[MacBoobsPro]

I always knew it wouldn't canibalise the dvd market. Even before iTS I hardly bought DVDs but I buy loads of movies from iTunes.

Just need a bigger HD now

[mikeinternet]

Originally Posted by macintel4me

That's an impressive about of movies sold. Go Apple and I'll ditch my cable company!

for real! why pay around 75 bucks a month for cable movie channel package. when you can download just what you want to see? just need to get all the other movie companies on board.

...dream sequence...and then make them ALL available streaming. so you can watch any movie/show ever made at anytime with no commercials. of course this should be offered at a revolutionary cheap price. maybe just through it in with a .mac account.

[bbergie]

Other studios to follow? How about other international iTunes Music Stores receiving the capacity to offer TV shows and movies? Yet another announcement that I'm waiting for from Apple.

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fever

i wonder how many have been sold on iTS outside of the States?

yeah seriously. and we all realize apple is holding out on this simply because they hate other countries. after all, why else would they hold out on getting access to more people and therefore drawing more people and making more money? must be xenophobia!!

[Queso]

Originally Posted by jelloshotsrule

yeah seriously. and we all realize apple is holding out on this simply because they hate other countries. after all, why else would they hold out on getting access to more people and therefore drawing more people and making more money? must be xenophobia!!

Or more likely apathy.

[Swarmlord]

Sweet! Should boost the value of my Disney AND Apple shares.

[Porchland]

There's no turning back now.

This is only a drop in the bucket compared to what Disney made on DVD sales during the same time period, but downloads will grow exponentially and the DVD market will continue to slide. The other studios can get on board or get left behind.

I still think Apple and the studios are holding back a big segment of the market by not having a PPV or "buffet" (a la Netflix) tier. I'm not inclined to pay $12 for one movie a month, but I would very likely pay $12 a month to see three movies I can't keep forever.

Same for TV: I will continue to download occasional episodes, but I won't replace cable with Apple until iTS has a cable-style pricing plan and live sports programming. (I happen to think Apple, the networks and the sports leagues are scouring their contracts right now to see who has the right to do what. We're going to get live or nearly live sports programming on iTS before it's all said and done.)

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally Posted by dynamicv

Or more likely apathy.

apathy to make more money? doesn't seem like a capitalistic company to me. i guess they're commies after all.

[Porchland]

Originally Posted by MacboobsPro

I always knew it wouldn't canibalise the dvd market. Even before iTS I hardly bought DVDs but I buy loads of movies from iTunes.

Just need a bigger HD now

Yet another reason the rental model makes more sense in the long run.

[holamiamigos]

good for disney.. hopefully this opens the door for more

[Queso]

Originally Posted by jelloshotsrule

apathy to make more money? doesn't seem like a capitalistic company to me. i guess they're commies after all.

They already get more per head out of us on the basic hardware sale, money which is then invested into providing more services for their US customers.

Not that I'm bitter of course.

[jbwise01]

Naturally Disney, with major stock holder Steve Jobs, was the first to push mass video downloads through iTunes (and all other AOL-Time Warner Studios.) The population with the propensity for downloading videos is still not what most studios would consider to be a target market.

I would say that most studios are waiting sign on until they see what develops with iTV, PS3, and Xbox 360. These three devices are the only logical ways to distrubute the high quality video content that can compete with online rental options such as Netflix or Blockbuster Online (copyright protection and one-time usage rights will be huge ) The ability to "Tivo" TV shows will always keep iTunes TV shows from completely taking off. What Apple needs are iTunes "exclusive" video downloads.

see what happens...new Ipod video could have a huge impact in Q4 2007.

[quandmeme]

My wife is getting a ipd video for V day so I've started ripping the Office so I can load it on when it arrives. What a PAIN. Ripping is sooo slow. I am starting to understand why downloading makes sense to so many people.

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally Posted by dynamicv

Not that I'm bitter of course.

oh of course.

[b_eleven]

I have noticed that I tend to be more impulsive when I buy from itunes than I would be at a store. I bet much of the sales are impulse buys and I suspect that it will continue to grow.

[notjustjay]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Disney's chief executive, Bob Iger, claims that digital distribution is "creating more consumption of media" rather than cannibalizing DVD sales

Shouldn't someone be eating crow right about now?

[dejo]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Financial Times reports that Disney has reached 1.3 million movie sales on iTunes after three months.

Isn't this what Steve said in his keynote nearly a month ago? And it's just now being reported on?

[mdntcallr]

This is the start of the digital world.

I just wish Apple ought to be able to offer Rentals also. like other digital stores do.

If they did that, they would be able to have more studio's join up to rent films because they didn't want to upset their major retailers like Walmart, Target, Bestbuy and more.

not to mention that, but who needs to own these films? we can't even burn them to dvd. I would much rather rental over ownership. give us both options

[twoodcc]

this is good news for apple. more studios to come!